Love is Blindness
by Destiny and Fate united
Summary: Heartbroken and alone...forgotten...Kim Possible has lost Ron; but what happens when his return marks the beginning of the end for everything they once knew? Rated M
1. Prologue

**Love is Blindness**

A Kim Possible Fanfic

**Disclaimer**: I do not own, and make no attempt to profit from the characters or stories of Walt Disney. Kim Possible is owned by Walt Disney.

**Background**: Set one year after the formal where Kim and Ron have foiled Drakken's attempt to take over the world with diablo robots.

**Note**: **There are drug references in this story and throughout, so anyone who may not wish to read this and further themes of**** suicide may wish to stop now. Read at your own risk.**

**Prologue**

A cold shroud of darkness engulfed the region as another day came to a short and sharp end. Dirty, but slightly happy, two young boys, both almost exact in appearance and behaviour raced through the house halls, screaming in joy as an older man chased them, waving his newspaper threateningly above his head. As the twins split, diving for cover in the lounge chairs, the father tripped, landing awkwardly on the carpet. Echoes of laughter reverberated around the house, except for one room.

Along the hall was a room, a room which had not experienced or expressed any sign of life in more than a year. Inside this room was a girl, not a child but not an adult, who sat at her desk, pondering the mountain of homework which greeted her each and every day. Had Kim been happier, maybe she would have done it faster, but then again, why bother. She had hoped in vain earlier in the day that Barkin would forget, but to her dismay as usual, at 2:59pm, the bell was too slow to stop Barkin from passing on the night's reading and writing, cursing her life to more black and white sheets, designed merely for his amusement.

And this was not helping her. Her life was already busy enough as it was, juggling a job, school itself and the one thing that separated her from other people; the missions. Despite it making her world famous, she was tired of it. All the pressure, being the one, was leaving her drained and it all seemed to be building up, awaiting only a prick from a pin to explode the ball that was her life. And if she had too, she would give up the missions first.

It wasn't because she didn't have the time to do still carry them out, but it was the loneliness she experienced, the continued loneliness she had to face each and every time the familiar beep echoed into her mind. He was gone. The spiky haired, goofy but loveable boy was gone. It had been nearly two years, and despite what she had hoped, time was not easing the pain. Cursing the fact her room was a mess; she walked over to the dresser, deciding her shirt was finally in need of a change.

Slumped, she sat down, noticing her reflection in the mirror and the photos that lined her dresser. In the most colourful photo were her and Ron, each striking a stupid face. Her eyes scanned over the next one, a picture of the park only a memory as the swing held the body of a happy girl, her face alive and excited as the boy pushed her, smiling the way she had only ever seen from him and him alone. Her arms felt weak as the mirror caught her eye. No longer vibrant red and orange, her hair was beginning to turn a pale chocolate brown, her eyes the only feature that had not changed.

Her heart seemed to sink as her eyes told the story. Now thinner than normal, Kim was beginning to resemble a skeleton more than a healthy growing girl. Her features were changing, but not for the better as she slumped herself onto the bed. The stars, each one placed by both her and Ron when they were little, glowed briefly, illuminating the room with a pale light. She had not heard a word from Ron in months, not even a single note; but the one thing she craved beyond anything else was a hug from the one person who would tell her everything would be alright.

A soft tap at her door went unnoticed as she continued staring at the roof. Even if she had wanted to look at the entering figure, she could not physically bring herself to do it. She was always fit for her age, but now she really did seem to resemble a beanstalk as an older and slightly more agile woman walked in, her red-orange hair as vibrant as he daughter's hair had once been. Ann Possible silently made her way towards Kim, her head almost bowed as she sat down next to her teenage daughter.

Truth be told, Ann felt powerless. Despite her best attempts, and her husband's to a certain degree, she could not convince Kim to move on. She had always felt close to Ron, as if he were simply an extension of her family, the son she had never had, and to see the impact he had on her daughter by simply not being there was a testimony to how special he was. But even as she looked out over her daughter, this was something Ann had wished never to experience; a broken hearted daughter.

Placing her hand gently onto Kim's shoulder, she tried to get a reaction out of her, but nothing happened. Kim would not move, her vacant face the only give away of life still beating inside her daughter's body. Ann was nearly on the verge of tears. Having watched for nearly two years, she could not stand the predicament her daughter was facing. As a mother, she wanted to reassure her he would be back, but she could not bring herself to tell the lie that had been spoken a thousand times.

"Kimmie, are you okay?" her voice breaking in the slightest as Kim finally looked at her. Her eyes were hollow, the pain and sadness covering them in a darkness Ann knew she was struggling to fight.

Before she received a response, Kim broke down. Tears flowed freely as she fell into her mother's arms, embracing them tightly to find the love she yearned.

"It's not fair mum; why did it have to be Ron? Why Ron?" she sobbed, the grief choking her as she held on tightly.

Ann held her, cooing softly as Kim began to settle down. Sighing deeply, the kind of sigh only a mother can produce, Ann watched as she gently rocked Kim to sleep, the tears finally stopping. She was alone and nothing she did was helping Kim.

"Please come back Ron. She needs you, now more than ever," she whispered to the still night air as Kim nudged her slightly.

**LIB**

_This night; it w__as everything to her teenage life. And tonight, it gave her more than Kim had ever hoped possible, except say the whole syntho-drone boyfriend trying to take over the world thing, but she had find something more; she had found him. She had thought about it__, she had to be honest. But the mere thought had been something so weird and yet so right, she had refused to acknowledge its existence._

_Drakken had come up with possibly his greatest plan, something she did not expect him capable of producing. Stealing he__r father's work for the creation of a little diablo army was ingenious, especially for Drakken. And she was beaten, something he had never been able to achieve. He had found her one weakness and exploited it. However, she and Drakken had not counted on the__ unpredictability and courage of Ron._

_He was there for her in her darkest hour and pulled her out, just as he always managed to do, despite the rising odds. But still the thought had been...well...strange. And who could blame her? They were almost complete__ opposites. She was brave, popular, brilliant and amazing. And to top it off, she was a Possible._

_Ron though did not quite fit these qualities; in fact he was the opposite of her. He was scared most of the time, a loner and an outsider, not as smart as her__ and was not one to stand out in the crowd. And to top it off, he was a goof-ball who loved Bueno Nacho with a passion._

_But he gave her something no one else could ever give her; his undying love and support. He had saved her. No matter how many times she __was bound to fall, Ron was always there to bring her back up. Even if she was about to fail, he would come through for her, saving not only the world, but also her reputation. Thinking about it, she realised how sad it sounded. She was never open to him, a__nd she learnt the hard way._

_And for this boy, she was thankful. Ever since pre-k, they were never far from each other, both in good times and also in tricky situations. And now, as they walked, his hand firmly holding hers, Kim stole a quick glance from hi__m. Nervous as anything, Ron smiled back at her, sending the chills down her spine again. Standing before the school doors, she breathed deeply. For the first time she was floating on air; things in her life were finally perfect._

**LIB**

Cold, chilling reality washed over her. Head aching, she rolled over. He still wasn't back. She couldn't take much more of this...

Ann walked to her daughter's door, preparing herself to try and awaken her once more. It was strange. The door, which not even two years ago had always been colourful and radiating with joy and happiness, was now nothing more than a pale oak brown, the life seemingly absent.

Unlike her twin brothers' room which always radiated danger and usually a scary and unusual light from under the door frame. So this is what happened when a doctor and a scientist had children; go figure. Trying to stifle a forced smile, she quietly opened the door. Instead of seeing her standing and facing herself in the mirror, Ann's eyes came upon a more horrific sight.

The empty bottle only inches from her daughter's left hand, Ann rushed to her daughter's side. Without a thought, her hand was on her mobile already calling the hospital. As if in slow motion, she checked for a pulse, any sign that the breathing was still flowing through her daughter.

Her fingers touched for were a pulse should be on her wrist and froze; _nothing._

A voice, crisp and slightly cold answered back as Ann looked down at the bottle; anti-depressants. Already setting into panic mode, Ann bypassed the usually labour-some introductions.

"This is Dr. Possible; I need an ambulance here now," her voice alien to her ears as she hung up, reaching out to touch Kim's cheek. The painful peace on her daughters face was unbearable as the room around her began to slow down, its dim horrors of pain and loss echoing loudly into her mind.

Nothing like this was ever meant to happen to her, especially to her own daughter. Feeling numb, she felt a soft hand pick her up, comforting her gently as people rushed slowly around her, her eyes only focussed on the still body of Kim. She could not hear anything, understand anyone, or see anything else. On auto pilot, she followed the man, her eyes never leaving Kim as the medics hurried her down the dark and hollow hall...

**LIB**

**Auth****or: Well I hope you like it. This is only the introduction, but would appreciate if people could help in the construction of the story, or even point out any plot holes that I may have made. Chapter one should be coming soon, so stay tuned! :)**


	2. Chapter I: Recurring Dreams

**Love is Blindness**

A Kim Possible FanFic

**Disclaimer**: I do not own, and make no attempt to profit from the characters or stories of Walt Disney. Kim Possible is owned by Walt Disney.

**Background**: Set one year after the formal where Kim and Ron have foiled Drakken's attempt to take over the world with diablo robots.

**Note**: **There are drug references in this story and throughout, so anyone who may not wish to read this and further themes of suicide may wish to stop now. Read at your own risk.**

**Chapter I: Recurring Dreams**

_Kim was furious. No, furious was not a strong enough word to describe how she felt. But it would have to do. Not only had Ron forgotten to tell her he was late, but she had also forgotten about this whole date. This was so unlike her. Sighing deeply, she sat down on the bench. The town park moved with life as children laughed joyfully about the coming sunset, the streaks blinding Kim. How was she going to get out of this one?_

_Silently, he joined her. It had been a while since they had even been able to even come to the park, and Kim was glad for it. She had often missed her carefree days as a child playing with Ron on the swings in this very park; she was always trying in vain to go higher and higher with each passing swing. It was always her biggest thrill, trying to surpass the height she had set when she was only five._

_But they were gone, the memories fading away to nothing. She had spent so long being an adult, she was now starting to regret the time she missed being a child. She had found her greater thrill, but now...she watched the children running as their mothers talked away merrily to one another._

"_Do you remember the swings KP?" Ron asked as the sun began to vanish behind the mountains._

"_How could I forget? You sprained your wrist twice in year three," she replied slyly._

"_Details, details KP," he shrugged._

_Watching him from the edge of her eyes, she shivered. The whole area was starting to shine like gold, catching the autumn leaves elegantly. Slowly, the children moved to their mothers, each one making their way home as quickly as possible. Kim smiled as a girl with red hair whined to her mum._

"_But mum, I just want five more minutes please?" she said fiercely, stomping her foot down with the blonde haired boy behind her, hiding from both his mother and hers._

"_Not this time dear. Maybe tomorrow," she said, grabbing her coat from the other mother._

"_What about him? Can he come over to play?"_

_She turned to face her daughter, sighing happily as she faced the other woman._

"_Would it be alright?"_

_Nodding, the young girl squealed happily as she grabbed his hand. Rushing after her mum, the girl laughed all the way to the car. The boy, although blushing red, still managed to keep up, the smile etched on his face so similar and so close to the one she knew so well. If only it was possible for Kim to freeze this one moment._

"_Do you miss it Kim?"_

_Kim looked at him. He had spoken so softly that she melted from his words. Lying down on his lap, she phased out all around her, her stare taken by the now empty playground. She felt the hand run through her hair, ruffling and stroking it gently. Sighing, she grabbed his hand, holding it closely to her face._

"_Yes. Yes I miss it Ron. I wish it could go back to the way it was. I wish it was just you and me Ron; spending our days together, just playing all day and night."_

_Sitting her up, despite her pleas, Ron stood before her, his hand held outstretched._

"_Take my hand KP."_

_Nodding, she held it tightly as they walked over to the swings. Carefully, Ron sat her down and moved behind her as Kim felt a surge of adrenaline surge through her body. With minimal effort, Ron pushed her. Kim could feel the freedom open up to her once again._

_That breeze; so soft, so gentle and so welcoming seemed to surround her body, almost encasing her into a pillow as she flew higher and higher. She felt like a child again, the weight and pressures of the world leaving her with every push Ron gave her._

_For what felt like an eternity, she swung happily, enjoying the finally rays of the setting sun as they bathe her in its wonderful warmth. As she neared her highest height, Ron had remained silent, not from lack of words, but almost as if he was listening or waiting for something. Curious, Kim stopped, bringing herself to a halt as he knelt behind her. Wrapping his arms around her tightly, Ron smiled as Kim looked around. Then it happened._

_A small bright light, something many people often look at but forget about later, erupted into the night sky, shining brightly upon the two. One by one, stars began to fill the night sky, twinkling with grace and beauty as Kim held the arms tightly around her. She finally felt safe and warm in his arms. No one and she meant no one, could ever hurt her or take him away from her._

"_When you call my name, I will be there Kim. Don't forget it," whispering gently as she felt a tide of drowsiness sweep over her._

_Feeling heavy, she tried to nod, but could only manage a glance at him as the darkness swept over her sight..._

**LIB**

Hazily, with the sickening sensation of nausea hovering over her like a bad headache, Kim gently opened her weary eyes, the light dim and faded. Images of fuzzy and blurry people swarmed her vision as she shut her eyes tightly. But it wasn't for long.

Feeling a strange sensation in her mouth and throat, she opened them again hastily as her body went into panic mode. A large plastic tube seemed to protrude from her mouth, fitted to a strange looking machine next to her. Trying not to gag on it, Kim tried to look around but was forced to stop as the room began to spin. All she remembered was looking at the empty bottle in her hand before she fell...

She shuddered. No, she could not have tried to kill herself, surely. She was Kim Possible, teen heroine, both brave and courageous. But it hit her; she was alone, and she was not who she once was. A fragile, yet delicate, little girl was lying in this bed, broken and hollow. Something so cold and so hurtful slid down her cheek as she tried to shut her eyes tightly. Who was she trying to fool? Without him there by her side, Kim was empty, she was alone and she was very much afraid.

For the first time, Kim strained to hear something other than her own head and her deliberating breathing. A light sound, more masculine than feminine carried to her ears as another deeper and familiar masculine voice joined the other. Talking away swiftly and quietly, Kim was sure they had not realised she was finally awake.

"I don't understand it. Kimmie has never tried to take her life before; she's just so determined and usually so happy and joyful. I just don't know why she would do this now," he trailed off as Kim tried to ignore the conversation.

"I'm afraid this is quite common in many cases Doctor Possible. It's not until something like this happens that many people really do pay attention to the suffering of the person. Luckily your wife found her early. Any longer...Well, I'd rather not know to be honest."

Dr. Possible nodded solemnly before resuming his place by his daughter's side. As the doctor walked off, he finally let out the sigh which had been growing in his heart. Kim tried to remain asleep, but her heart had other plans. Her breathing once simple and light had become harder, the effort almost exhausting her completely as she struggled to keep the air flowing. On the verge of tears, Kim lauded herself for this. She hated it; she hated everything that came each and every time she thought about him. Even as she thought, _he_had become the only way she could remember him, the only way she could identify him. His name was so close, and yet so far...

"Ron," she gasped softly.

"Kim?" her father asked excitedly.

Opening her eyes, she looked around to see her father's features change. Where once a smile existed, his mouth had become a sad expression mixed of pain and helplessness. He tried to smile, but gave up, instead opting to place his hand on top of hers. His eyes were beyond bloodshot, and to Kim's surprise, watery. She had only seen him cry once; that too had not been pleasant.

"Kimmie, are you okay?"

As if her head was made of stone, she nodded once, the effort almost knocking her out. She could not bear to watch her father suffer, even if he had wanted to for her sake. Her eyes wondered, the only part of her that felt at least half alive, away from her father, not wishing to watch on anymore. Coming to rest, Kim smiled slightly as tears fell down the sides of her cheeks. Two kids, both roughly the same age laughed back at her; the girl with hair only one shade away from red held one arm around the sandy blonde haired boy. Her emerald green eyes were vibrant as her attention turned to the boy. Those chocolate eyes...Kim wiped away a tear, grateful for the fact she could still remember his face.

**LIB**

Head aching, he slowly moved into the bush surrounding him, glad to be off the road, but nerved by the sudden silence that greeted him. Dawn was going to rise in an hour; he didn't have long. The chirps from all sorts of insects were driving him mad, not least the aching sensation in his head. The forest had never been the easiest place to hunt in at night; but then again, he had always enjoyed a challenge.

Blending in, the assailants rushed past him, each one dressed in the dark clothing he knew could only come from one place; Yamanouchi. Spitting in disgust, he moved along the forest line, taking caution to avoid all potential newcomers. Although he was more than capable of handling them, tonight just was not the night for this. He was tired and if he wasn't quick enough, his stomach would kill him before they could get to him.

Branches rustled; katana drawn, he stopped, scanning the area for all possible attack points. He had been careless when he had first started; a lesson he learnt the hard way. A single streak of light revealed a scar, stretching from his left ear to the end of his cheek, was the painful reminder of his laziness. With mousy brown hair and light brown eyes, he scaled the closest tree.

A swing from below confirmed his thoughts. Slowly falling towards the ground, the katana swung, connecting strongly with the surprised victim's head. As the body fell to the ground, he let out a smirk, landing effortlessly next to the now still corpse. Something was watching him, probably analysing his every move with keen interest. The moonlight finally crept into the forest den; they had failed again.

Two closed in from his right. Before they could register his movement though, the bodies fell into a heap, darts sticking out from their necks. Shadows of the night leapt at him, each brandishing their swords above their heads. Landing around him, he raised his own uniquely crafted katana above his head, allowing his training to take over and ease his breathing speed. Clanging and screams filled the air as they seemingly danced, each strike failing to meet their mark. However, he swung and sickeningly struck the bone in the tallest assailants arm. Sighing, in a pirouette he spun, shooting a dart into each one of his attackers. Dropping to the ground, he fled, not wishing to watch the after effects of the dart's drug. If he was fast enough, perhaps he might have a chance of getting a bite to eat. Pain shot through his left arm as the forest became darker. Panting, he was almost home, the pain seemingly numbing his entire arm.

A ninja, dressed in the same black clothing her squad was wearing, dropped from a tree, blocking off his path. Slightly shorter than him with a more athletic build, her charcoal stained hair glistened in the fading moonlight. But it was her eyes that unsettled him; almost the same colour as her hair, the only difference was the subtle mixture of brown into the charcoal, giving her eyes an almost hawk-like stare.

Dread filled his heart as she turned and bowed low enough to kiss the ground. Gripping it tightly in his right hand, the katana glistened as he slowly moved into position, his left arm burning with the unknown pain. Had he been faster, maybe he could have stopped it from starting.

"You are Hayden, are you not?" she asked, tying a red ribbon into her hair.

Nodding, he winced as she drew out a sword from her side; just what he needed; another psycho with a samurai sword.

"Yori, this is not the best time; leave me and I won't follow. If you do, you could still help your squad," he muttered, tossing the antidote at her feet.

"They will be fine. But how it is you have come to know my name?"

"The same way you have come to know mine; research and reputation."

Squatting into her stance, Hayden sighed. "Please Yori, just this once can you put aside your ego?"

"But have you not heard of my reputation? You shall fall at my sword. Mercy is not a common gift from me, and you shall receive none."

Like a woman possessed, she launched from the ground, almost diving through the air towards him, the tip of the katana spinning madly in front of her. Deflecting the blow, Hayden stumbled, narrowly avoiding the impaling from her katana as Yori landed gracefully, her face emotionless as the light dimmed.

"You are to come with me Hayden. Dead or alive, but preferably alive, he would like a word with you. And with the condition you are in," raising her katana at his left arm, "You would be wise to follow my orders. You are not in a position to do otherwise," snickering as he knelt to the ground clutching his arm tightly.

"He?"

Yori smiled as the evil shone through her eyes. Breathing heavily, Hayden tried to compose his focus, blocking out the pain which seemed to throb in his head.

"My new employer to be precise; he has taken a rather particular and strange interest in meeting you; perhaps you wronged him, I cannot be sure. However, it matters little to me. Why he would want to waste his time with you is beyond my understanding. You can come quietly, or shall I drag you along kicking and screaming?"

Looking up into her face, Hayden smiled, gesturing with his middle finger what she should do. "Kicking and screaming bitch," he laughed as the anger flooded her face.

Clenching her teeth tightly, Yori rushed him again, swinging down hard onto his head. Well, it should have struck his head. The crashing of steel on steel resounded like an echo as Hayden's smile widened. Yori felt the chill run through her spine as his eyes become almost sinister, striking fear into her heart at will. _Who was this boy?_

"Never underestimate your opponent," he whispered, using his strength to launch her backwards.

Running after the flying girl, the katanas traded blow for blow, each strike parried with perfect defence. Although Yori was far more agile, she could not measure up to his power. Something more powerful than anything she had encountered slept inside this boy, she was sure of it. Another strike almost sent her to the ground as Hayden sliced through the tree branch they had been on.

Landing softly to the ground, Yori watched as Hayden composed himself. "Who are you really?"

Hayden did not respond, preferring to simply gaze at her, which only seemed to infuriate the girl even more.

"No one has ever bested me before, except for the chosen one," she whispered, almost afraid to speak for breaking the forest's silence.

"Not that you would care; in fact I'm fairly certain you would have to be the worst fighter I have ever met."

Yori watched on, hoping for a reaction, something to betray what he was concealing.

"If I am, then you should be lucky to consider yourself terrible at best then."

"You," her anger boiling over, "Should have never been given life. It is nothing but a waste, especially on you. Far more important and more deserving people should be alive, not you. Your parents should be ashamed," she spat.

Her eyes widened; cold, heartless metal moved inside her uncomfortably as she looked down to her stomach. A chilling breath sent shivers through her body. The faint smell of blood filled her nose as he moved closer to her ear, his breathing controlled and evenly paced.

"For everything you were, for everything you once believed and stood for, you should be ashamed for what you have become Yori," he cooed gently as he twisted the blade, causing a gasp to escape her mouth. "No one talks about my parents like that. I am sorry," the words a mere echo as all faded to white.

Hayden removed the katana, wiping it with care to remove all possible traces of blood. Moving away from the body, a cold sweat swept over him, causing him to shiver uncontrollably. He had not wanted to kill her. Looking to the now still corpse of his assailant, he felt his heart break. Speaking a soft prayer, Hayden felt warmth fill him as the first rays began to warm him.

Leaving her, Hayden raced through the forest as the forest began to awake from its peaceful slumber. As he came upon the small house he called home, Hayden burst through the door gripping his arm painfully. Closing it behind him, he sighed and made his way to the cabinet. Rummaging hastily, his hands finally came upon the bottle. Grabbing the needle, with pinpoint precision he extracted and injected the content and stuck it into his arm, breathing deeply as the drug worked its magic.

Slowly dropping his gear to the ground around his room, Hayden crashed onto the bed. His vision now blurry beyond recognition, he closed his eyes, embracing the blissful feeling of sleep he knew would always be plagued by the screams that haunted his dreams.

**LIB**

Looking over her room, Kim was fairly happy that her mother had managed to pull a few strings here and there. Having your own room was something Kim never took for granted, especially with the way her brothers sought out more practice zones to test fire their new designs on kitchen appliances. Having some sort of privacy and sanctuary away from other people was a great move by her mum.

However, despite her insistence of being fine, they still found it necessary to keep a close eye on her at all times. She didn't blame them though; they had to do their jobs, and it would look bad if a patient was found dead again. Not wishing to find out how they would react, Kim relaxed, trying her best to enjoy the comforting pillows. She was glad to finally have the tube removed from her mouth; Kim now had the pleasure of breathing like a normal person once more.

Except she now had to contend with needing to throw up every time she tried to eat something. It wasn't the worst trade off; at least she could get up and move around, even if it was limited to the confines of her room for the meantime. As she stood up, feeling slightly queasy at the thought of eating more food, she headed for the bathroom but was stopped as a familiar BFF arrived, her face excited to the point of laughter. Ignoring the staff, Monique burst in and pulled her friend into a bear hug. Letting her go after a few moments, Monique punched her in the arm, causing Kim to wince as she looked at an angry Monique.

"What was that for?"

"Girl, you tried to commit," mouthing the next word quietly to Kim, "And you nearly died. To top it off, you didn't even call your BFF before you did any of this. Do you know how long I waited? How worried I was? How many shifts I missed waiting to hear about your condition?"

Compared to her parents, Monique was almost ten times worse; if anyone could create guilt, Monique was the best.

"It's great to see you too Mon," she said, causing Monique to sigh.

"Girl," Monique said as she pushed Kim firmly back down onto the bed, "We need to talk."

As Monique sat down next to her, wrapping a blanket around her as Kim shivered from the cold in the room, the doctor walked in, followed closely by a group of rather nervous nurses.

"Excuse me miss, but I must ask –"

"Hold on Kim. Excuse me, but can't you see that my BFF and I have some important things to discuss?"

"BFF?" the stunned doctor asked.

"And if you would not mind, I would like to talk to her now, so go, please."

Muttering some words not suitable for nurses, he stormed off, threatening to display his lack of hospitality next time she showed up. As they exited the room, Monique smiled, shutting the door rather loudly behind them.

"And I thought only people at Club Banana were bad."

Kim stifled a laugh as she resumed her place, watching Kim intently in case she tried to plot anything else. Kim was worried she was about to kidnap her and take her home, but something else seemed to be eating away at Monique.

"Monique?"

"Why did you do it Kim?"

"Monique I –"

"Kim, he is gone. Ron is not coming back."

"He will," she muttered.

Monique sighed, her body almost deflating as she watched her BFF glare at her with utmost contempt. "How do you Kim? He has been gone for so long now; even if he was alive, he would have made contact at least with you by now. You need to accept it girl."

"But he will come back Monique, I just know he will."

"How can you be so sure?"

"He loves me."

Monique rolled her eyes; even if she was going to let go, Kim was still going to need some serious therapy to help move on. Kim was stubborn at times, but this was one time she needed to let go of him. She was going to hurt herself more than anything, and at the very least, she was going to drive Monique crazy. She was about to rebuke her, hoping to make her see sense, when a couple walked into the room, escorted by the rather unhappy doctor. Scolding Monique as he left them, Kim watched as the two sat down, each holding each other's hand for comfort. As she was about to speak, a small squeak caught her attention as a small pink naked mole rat ran up to her from the woman's handbag.

"Rufus!" she said, catching Rufus as he launched himself at Kim. Chirping away happily, Kim held him close, never letting him go till the man finally spoke.

"Kim, how are you doing?"

Having met Ron's father a couple of times, Kim was still not used to hearing him speak to her that often. Usually he was working late or busy when she came to Ron's. But at least he could remember her name.

"I'm good thanks Mr Stoppable. Not meaning to be rude or anything but why are you here?" she asked as Monique remained strangely silent.

"We need to give you something Kim," he replied as his wife removed the item from her bag. Passing it to her husband, Kim looked at it strangely. In his hand he held a small black leather box, about the same size as his own hand. Holding it out to her, Kim took it, holding it gently in case it fell apart in her own hands.

"What is this?" asked Monique as Kim continued to analyse all the possible bombs that could fit into a small box.

"It is from Ron. It was meant to be for your birthday, but as he has not come back...well, you should open it Kim," Mrs Stoppable whispered as Kim opened it.

A delicate white gold chain neatly surrounded the crowning jewel in the centre. A dark green jade gem was encased in the white gold, shining only slightly in the sunlight peeking through the blinds. Kim didn't move, her eyes solely fixed on the necklace as Monique gasped. Rufus' eyes could not get any bigger as he sat on her shoulder, admiring the gem's beauty as the couple sat silently.

"Did you know about this?" Kim asked as Rufus shook his head.

"Ron was meant to give this to you earlier. If my wonderful wife had not remembered it, well, it might have remained alone for longer. It is his gift to you Kim; please take care of it," Mr Stoppable gestured to the necklace before they both left.

"Can Rufus stay with you? I am sure he would love it."

Nodding, Kim closed the glass door behind them. Still holding the box, Kim took out the necklace and held it. Surprisingly warm, Kim held it gently, almost stroking it as Monique looked on in awe.

"Who would have thought Ron was capable of this?" Monique paused as she watched the light reflect form the radiant jewel.

Kim smiled, more to herself, as she placed it around her neck. Feeling the warmth fill her, she finally felt better. For the first time in a year, Kim was finally starting to move on. Perhaps, she might find him after all.


	3. Chapter II: Forgotten

**Love is Blindness**

A Kim Possible FanFic

**Disclaimer**: I do not own, and make no attempt to profit from the characters or stories of Walt Disney. Kim Possible is owned by Walt Disney.

**Background**: Set one year after the formal where Kim and Ron have foiled Drakken's attempt to take over the world with diablo robots.

**Note**: **There are drug references in this story and throughout, so anyone who may not wish to read this and further themes of suicide may wish to stop now. Read at your own risk.**

**Chapter II: Forgotten**

The next few days were a welcome change to her previous routine of being alone and feeling restrained from participating in life. Although she still had a million questions to ask, there was no one around long enough to have them all answered. Monique continued to visit her whenever she could, as her parents took turns to watch her closely, mainly for fear of a reprisal. Not that they should worry about it; she was not going to go back there again. Rufus, although disgusted by the hospital's lack of cheese, had stayed with her, often providing enough entertainment to keep her mind from straying to him.

But even the antics of Rufus could not top the moment Kim looked forward to everyday; going outside. Having finally convinced them of her bettering condition, and general lack of fresh air, Kim was afforded the opportunity to go outside into the fresh air of the patient yard. As the doctor came into her room, she smiled and followed him along the corridor and into the yard. Patients all walked around, wheeled themselves or sat and talked with one another, each one basking in the life around them and forgetting for just a while why they were really here.

The feeling of the sun blazing down upon her skin warmed her considerably more than the hospital blankets could at night, despite the presence of the autumn chill hovering in the air. Kim was glad just to be away from the confining white hollow walls of her room, as too was Rufus, who could roam freely through the courtyard without being screamed or kicked at.

And despite the fact she was still trying to hold down her food unsuccessfully at the moment, Kim always felt rejuvenated, awoken each and every day from her dreary slumber in her room to the real life around her in the courtyard. People laughed and cried, and were in her eyes being normal people. She had to admit, she had grown fond of watching these people, whose predicaments were worse than hers, but continued to put on a brave face and smile at life.

But she was worried still. She was sure people were going to notice her absence at school. Maybe not for a day or two, but once the cheerleading practice started up, she was going to be missed. But she didn't want them to know. It was strange, but she felt ashamed. People depended on her for everything, and for once she would not be able to deliver. And if she could help it, no one from school apart from Monique would truly find out about her circumstance.

However, as a familiar girl walked to towards Kim, she could not have hoped for a more volatile or aggressive situation with a person she once called friend. Chattering and hissing in the direction of the girl, Rufus hid himself in one of Kim's pockets, preferring not to have contact with this creature. Roughly the same height and slender build as Kim, the off-chocolate hair was held perfectly in place by more hair products than she would care to admit to, while her eyes locked themselves onto Kim, the familiar cocky smile gracing across her lips. Hate and anger swelled in Kim as she stood her ground; Bonnie Rockwaller had come to visit.

**LIB**

Pushing himself up and down, Hayden clenched his teeth as he neared the end of his training session. Beads of sweat polled together on his forehead, slowly trickling down his face. Each push was burning his arms, making the next one harder and more excruciating painful than the last. With one final effort, he collapsed onto the ground, the aching sensation flooding his system.

Hayden smiled. He loved pushing his limits, improving and developing his already exceptional stamina and strength. No one could match up to him; he was in a league of his own and he prided himself on it. There was one person however who could rival him...Sitting up, he reached for his watch. Feeling slightly jaded from the drugs after effects, he tried to stand.

Without it, he would be a raging monster. But sometimes, he wished the side effects weren't so bad. Before he could find something to eat, the watch began to beep, indicating someone was trying to call him. Without hesitation he pressed the button. The image of a dark young man with short jet black hair filled the screen, his characteristic smile evident as always.

"_You have really outdone yourself Hayden. If it weren't for the urgency of the situation and the fact I am a genius, I would compliment you on the effort you have put in; this was quite a challenge for once,"_ came the crackly, yet deep voice.

"I am not the best for nothing, although I'll need to step up to avoid any more unwanted interruptions from strangers," he seethed as he ruffled his hair.

Smiling, the young man paused, causing Hayden to frown. It was unlike him to call and make small talk.

"_Am I a stranger? I certainly hope not. The weapon has been located. It came into focus on my scanner three minutes ago."_

Bingo; his ears perked up. "Where is it?"

Despite the appearance of the screen between them, he knew he was nervous about something.

"_The thing is, it's in the procession of a Mr Steve Barkin, ex-army who now runs Middleton High. He bought the weapon roughly two days ago, but I haven't been able to establish who sold it to him. Whoever it is has systems in place I can only dream of."_

"Well, just buy it like you normally do," he muttered as he put the watch down and began to walk towards the kitchen.

"_No can do."_

Hayden sighed. "Wade, you know I can't go back to Middleton. I'm pushing it enough as it is by being on the edge of the town."

Wade watched as he continued to walk away, knowing he had to use his last bait; but it was one he would not enjoy using against him.

"_I know, but there are more important things at stake here."_

"Like what Wade?" he growled.

"_Kim Possible."_

As the last syllable left his mouth, Hayden flinched. He couldn't bear to face her again. She had sworn to kill him the second they next met, excuse or not. And by making an appearance now, when he was so close to his goal, was not the smartest decision he could possibly make.

"No Wade."

"_What did you do to her?"_

"I told her Ron Stoppable was dead. So essentially I destroyed her world completely. Besides, she will recognise me instantly."

"_She won't recognise you Hayden,"_ he said as Hayden remained rooted to the spot. _"Kim has no idea you even exist.__ You simply called her and told her right?__ And besides, this will be a quick job. You will be in and out before you know it. You can leave her alone completely; she needn't know you even dropped in."_

Clenching his fists, Hayden paced back and forth, his mind racing. The risk just seemed too great.

"_Rest on it Hayden. I'll talk to you tomorrow,"_ he said as the screen went dark again.

Sighing, he fell onto his bed. He hadn't been totally honest with him about his reason not to return, but he didn't need to know about that just yet. Barkin had the weapon, but did he know he even had it? If not, it could be easier to acquire. But Kim Possible would be a problem, she always was. She would recognise him and expose him. Punching his pillow into a more comfortable shape, he didn't feel as hungry anymore. Why did everything always lead him back to Middleton?

**LIB**

Pausing mainly to watch herself in the mirror, Bonnie smugly walked towards Kim, her eyes wide with excitement and joy, something which nerved Kim greatly. Had she been more capable of landing punches and kicks, perhaps she might have made short work of the attempted princess. As it was, her only choice was to stand confidently, despite the attempts of her stomach to empty the contents once more.

The world around the two seemed to freeze as Bonnie stopped, eyeing Kim up as if she were a piece of meat, or a rather disturbing item of clothing which should not have been let out of the store. Kim could feel the blood surge through her veins; there was something different about Bonnie now. She wasn't arrogant and cocky anymore; she seemed almost, well, evil. Something Kim never thought Bonnie would be capable of.

"Possible," Bonnie smirked, the arrogance seeping through her mouth with ease.

"What are you here for Bon-Bon?" Kim smirked.

Shuddering, Bonnie's eyes almost turned red. "Don't you dare call me that Kim; no one calls me Bon-Bon, no one you hear?"

"Settle down Bonnie, you'll scare the people in the courtyard."

"Playing the cool hero now are you? You truly are pathetic Kim. Anyway, I'm only here to deliver a message."

"Well speak then Bonnie. I don't have all day," she spat as Rufus finally popped his head out of the pocket. Sticking his tongue out, he crawled onto Kim's shoulder and watched intently.

"Stoppable's pet rat; how cute Kim. Even I know he isn't coming back, which is a shame, because I think he could do so much better."

Growling at her, Rufus made to jump but stopped as Kim's hand held him back. "What is the message Bonnie?" her own anger struggling to stay in check.

Straightening up, Bonnie now returned the smirk. "Until you return to school Kim, I shall lead the cheerleading group."

"But Tara was –"

"The group decided unanimously that I should be the deserving leader. Who knows, maybe they will like me so much, they will want me as the permanent leader."

"Not likely," she muttered.

"Anyway Kim, it is nothing personal; oh wait, it is. The food chain is a much better place without perfect Possible at the top," she breathed happily as she walked away.

"Anytime you are ready Kim," she laughed as she vanished from view.

Kim picked up the nearest stone and clenched it tightly. "Bitch for life," she whispered for only Rufus to hear. Nodding his head, Rufus jumped onto the ground and began to run around. Kim smiled as he launched himself unsuccessfully onto the nearest tree.

Something bothered her and it wasn't about her. Bonnie had indeed been strange towards her, not that any other way should be expected, but it was the way she carried herself now that worried Kim. Bonnie did indeed seemed to have developed a deep hatred, but not something a person would consider being normal for hatred towards another person. It was almost as if she wanted Kim dead.

**LIB**

Tim was bored. No, bored was too small a word; he absolutely hated the lack of opportunity to express himself creatively, to explore the realms of almost insanity and create inventions only a mad man could ever hope to dare attempt. If it were possible, villains all around the world would one day fear to do wrong. However, he was for want of a better word, bored. The whole system had gone into hibernation in response to his sister's current stability in life.

Not that he minded it too much. Sure, he was worried about her and her own mental stability, but he was glad that for the first time in two years, he was finally having a break. Ever since Wade and Ron had left, he had been running the system for Kim, along with his twin counter-part in crime Jim. Although he was sure they would be back on soon, Tim knew better than Jim. This was going to be a long break, which meant limited testing of their new schemes.

And it wasn't helped when their father came home, hunting them down and watching them like a hawk until their mother came home; so much for the free spirited Possible family. Even as he watched the screen, Tim did just hope for a mission, something that would starve off the boredom he and Jim had to experience every day. It wasn't their fault, but what would you do if your parents were a doctor and a rocket scientist? The brain could only be kept occupied for so long.

As Jim walked in also bearing the scars of dullness, he sat down on the bed, kicking off his shoes before drinking down the mug's contents hastily. Tim watched on, knowing full well the measures his twin would go to get a decent days work done. Beeping echoed around the room. Rushing over to the screen, Jim watched as Tim typed frantically, muttering with great interest as the window finally revealed the intruder.

"I thought you posted the note?" Jim whispered as Tim's frown grew.

"I did. No one should be calling now though," he muttered.

A file, self titled 'Tim and Jim' revealed itself, the only file visible on the screen as the twins looked on. No one knew they ran the site. Only Kim knew of their involvement, and even then she had made sure they were never mentioned when talking to her. Even if they wanted to do this, Tim knew better. No virus would penetrate their walls, and he was not about to allow this to happen now.

"What do you reckon?"

"Could be a virus," Jim replied, "Could be a trap."

"Click it," they both smiled as Tim clicked on it.

Another window opened, revealing a darkly skinned man, whose body now looked nothing like he once had. Now more muscular and taller, Wade Load looked at the two boys with great interest, his eyes sparkling as he leaned closer to the screen.

"Wade?" The twins exclaimed.

"Long time boys; I see you still haven't bothered to fix the sites security, but having said that, the extra firewall defences are definitely an improvement. But they still can't measure up to mine."

Smiling, Tim adjusted the camera. "Where have you been Wade? We all thought you and Ron had both left for good, or worse."

Wade seemed to pause, which Tim had found strange. It was almost as if he had flinched when he had mentioned the blonde haired boy's name. Jim seemed to have thought the same, as he watched with anticipation for Wade's next movement. To his credit, he remained still.

"I only left to further my career; I wouldn't leave Middleton forever. There are too many people to see and meet still," his voice trailing off, although the boys thought he whispered something about someone called Monique.

"Anyway, I was hoping to speak to your sister; is she there? It's urgent."

The twins' smiles vanished as Jim looked away, preferring to fall asleep on the bed instead.

"You can't."

"Why not; is she out on a mission?"

"Perhaps you should see for yourself," Tim replied as he double clicked a file named 'Big Sis'.

A view of Kim in a bed with her mum covered the screen as Wade looked on solemnly. Scanning in closer, Kim looked worse than ever; her usually fiery passion had gone, leaving behind nothing more than an almost empty shell. Wade seemed to be on the verge of tears, but he had already known about her condition. It was hard to be checked into a hospital without him knowing about who was being put into it; he had designed the program himself.

Tim closed the link, and waited for Wade to speak. He had not enjoyed watching it, although he was glad that Rufus had found his way to Kim finally. Wade coughed, clearing what might have been a cold if it weren't for the lack of tissues near his desk.

"I'm sorry boys."

"Why did you leave Wade? She missed you and Ron terribly."

"I'll explain later. It looks like I need to return now. I'll be there in a couple of days. When will she be getting out?"

"We don't know," said Tim, "But it should be within the next week, providing she can hold down her food."

Nodding, Wade smiled. "Well, I shall be there shortly," and with that, Wade vanished.

Tim looked to his twin, who remained focussed on the ceiling. "You do know what this means?"

Jim nodded. "Yeah, not that I am going to like it."

Tim grinned as his twin broke out laughing. Team Possible was back on.


	4. Chapter III: Return

**Love is Blindness**

A Kim Possible Fanfic

**Disclaimer**: I do not own, and make no attempt to profit from the characters or stories of Walt Disney. Kim Possible is owned by Walt Disney.

**Background**: Set one year after the formal where Kim and Ron have foiled Drakken's attempt to take over the world with diablo robots.

**Note**: **There are drug references in this story and throughout, so anyone who may not wish to read this and further themes of suicide may wish to stop now. Read at your own risk.**

**Chapter III: Return**

Pushing herself up in bed, Kim breathed deeply and smiled; today was the last day. Having finally managed to hold down three meals in a row, Kim was going to be allowed to leave the hollow walls of the hospital. Despite her parents' insistence on testing her completely, she felt fine, and for once would just like them to let her make her own choices. Kim was not going to wait around anymore; she was going to find him, even if it killed her. And no one was going to tell her otherwise.

With Rufus clambering all over her, she grabbed her bag and followed her mum out of the ward and down the hall. People left and right looked at her, either to acknowledge her leave or to see if some new patient had materialised into thin air to be treated. Without glancing towards any of the people around her, she walked into the car park, clasping her bag with Rufus snugly placing himself into her pocket. She felt good enough to drive home, but after receiving a warning glare from her mother, she thought better than to argue with her.

As the car roared to life and began to speed down the empty streets, Kim phased out, lost completely in her own thoughts. No one could interrupt her as she took in the empty street life; a few people moved here and there, but no one would look around long enough to let her see what they were up to. Not that she cared; it was after all eight at night. But the lack of people worried her.

She had often thought of what life would be like when she finished. She had thought maybe of joining with Dr. Director to further eradicate evil from the world, but after her current event, perhaps it could wait a little longer. But first, she needed to find him. Life was always planned around him being there, holding her hand through thick and thin. Light seemed dim as her mum cast a quick glance at her. Kim had always imagined being older, watching with Ron as their daughter swung in the playground, trying to reach higher and higher just like her mum once had.

The engine stopped. Her focus broken, Kim looked around. Nothing had changed; she was home, and it was exactly like she remembered it. Not a flower out of place, or a blade of grass longer than the last. Holding the bag carefully, she got out and headed for the door. Her mother had already gone ahead and was already inside as she paused at the door, her heart beating madly. It wouldn't be long, and then she would go looking for him. But first, she did need to rest. Her body did crave to rest in her own bed once more and she was not about to deprive herself of the pleasure of doing so.

Walking inside, there was no one up except for her mother, who was already in the kitchen making noises that sounded like washing. Her father was still out, and from the looks of things, her siblings were already asleep, otherwise planning their next form of world conquest. Smiling to herself, she walked past the living room and headed for her room. Opening the door, she felt her heart burst with joy as Rufus finally emerged from his slumber, stretching himself out onto her bed as she joined him.

Her eyes heavy, she could already feel the inevitable starting to set in.

**LIB**

Walking towards the school, Hayden sniffed the air, his senses already starting to confirm what he already suspected; it was special meatloaf day again. He hated the smell of almost rotting meat, and this did nothing to help his senses hinder what remained of the fresh autumn air. Students wrapped up tightly but stylishly walked along, none bothering to pay him any attention. They probably suspected him of being older than them, which he didn't mind.

Opening the doors to the school hall, his heart quickened, but relaxed when he saw no sign of the famous Kim Possible. Continuing his journey, he passed a rather strange girl who looked at him oddly. She smiled, winking suggestively to find her later. Feeling repulsed, he neared the office and walked in. An older lady, roughly in her mind forties, looked up at him, eyeing him strangely as he stood waiting.

"And you are?" she muttered, pilling the papers on her desk thoroughly whilst looking him up and down.

"Hayden. I am here to see Mr Steve Barkin; I have an appointment with him."

"I see," returning her attention to her work, "He shall be here shortly; he is addressing the school and should be in here in five minutes. Please take a seat."

Taking her request, Hayden sat down and looked around the room. Although neatly furnished and appearing modern, the room still held shades of former glory. Trophies lined the cabinets, mainly as a result of Barkin's achievements. Photos of the teams from past years covered the wall opposite the cabinets, each one fading away as time seemed to wear on.

A loud ringing around the room seemed to wake him up as he watched the shadows of students walk past the room. A loud bellow down the hall was quickly followed by the appearance of Mr. Barkin, whose face now resembled a raging kettle as he marched to his secretary.

"Now, I would like you to place a notice on the boards around the school, outlining the correct and proper way of addressing an adult of society," his face inches from hers.

"Yes Steve," she whispered, her face scared but not petrified.

"And...Who are you?" he stated, turning his attention to the young male who seemed strangely out of place, but somehow belonged.

"My name is Hayden," he said as he stood up to shake his hand. Feeling the strong grip from Mr. Barkin, he smiled and responded in kind. Barkin smiled.

"Ah yes the new councillor. Please come this way," he said as he made his way to his office.

Once inside, Hayden could see very little as the blind behind the desk was dropped, letting little light cover the room. From what he could see, small photo frames and framed certificates adorned the walls, each one involving Mr. Barkin in some way. Taking a seat opposite the desk, Hayden stretched out, allowing his body to finally relax into the current setting. Barkin closed the door and took his place, his eyes fixed on Hayden as he turned on the light on his desk.

Leaning back into his chair, Barkin yawned.

"Never underestimate the levels of rudeness a young person will have towards you Hayden; never. Now, I am to understand it that you have applied for this position through some very persuasive connections," he said, eyeing the boy strangely. From all his years, he had never seen one so young in this kind of position.

"That is correct Mr. Barkin."

"Please, call me Steve. Only students have to call me Mr. Barkin."

"Right, Steve. I am only here temporarily though; my partner could not make it yet, so he will be here in a couple of weeks. Until then, I am at your service," he smiled.

"Very good, that's what I like to hear. I need to make it clear though; I run a very disciplined and tight school; I will not tolerate tardiness or poor efforts on the behalf of my students and my staff. I expect the best, and strive for it."

Standing up, Barkin moved the window, pulling the string down to reveal the light from outside. Momentarily blinded by it, his eyes fell onto the item of his mission; the lotus sword. Sitting on the far side of his desk, Hayden could not believe the chances of finding it straight away. Reaching for it, he pulled back as Barkin turned around, his face now showed the tiredness and exhaustion from having one too many late nights.

"Very good; your office is down the hall and please feel free to ask me if you have any further questions."

Hayden left the chair and headed for the door. "Just a minute."

Turning back, Hayden watched as Barkin sat down, his face downcast and seemingly defeated.

"There is one student you will be seeing tomorrow who will need your service while you are here."

Hayden froze. "Who is this person?" he asked, clenching his fists tightly. The pain was starting to shoot through his body; his arms ached and his chest felt like erupting with fire as he waited.

"Kim Possible, one of the best students in the school. She has the day off today, but she will need counselling after her previous activities outside of school. You will be meeting her tomorrow morning, at 10 o'clock. She tried to end her life, so she will need some stability. Can I count on you to do this?" he asked, watching him closely as Hayden tried to relax.

"That should not be a problem. Is there anything else?"

"No. You may go," he dismissed, turning around in his chair.

Hayden left, his hands shaking as he farewelled the secretary. Walking out of the office and into the empty hall, he rushed to the nearest bathroom and threw up. Looking up, his face was pale, his body shaking as the burning began to erupt in his veins once more. Rummaging into his pockets, he pulled out a needle and stuck it into his arm. Clenching, he pushed down.

Ice cold liquid shot through his body, sending shivers and uncontrollable shaking throughout. He could hardly stand, but held tightly as the last of the liquid raced into his bloodstream. Gasping tightly, he fell to the floor, his body starting to settle down as his breathing slowed. Composing himself, Hayden stood up and walked out the door, placing the needle away for future use.

He was tired yes. But he had other things to worry about now. One, the sword had to be obtained somehow. Secondly, the office he was about to enter would more than likely be needing a clean, and also he needed to know about the students he was going to be seeing today and tomorrow. And thirdly, he was going to confront Kim Possible, this time in person.

**LIB**

Kim was already down the hall as the pink rodent raced after her, the smell of pancakes proving to be too tempting to leave alone. Having tried to avoid awakening the former sleeping pet, she was now contemplating waking him up every morning, providing he would avoid leaving any food crumbs in her room. She always needed someone to finish off breakfast for her anyway.

Moving into the lounge room, Kim froze as her eyes came upon the chair normally occupied by her father. Rufus bumped into her heel, but she would apologise later. The tweebs were at school, and her father had left for work nearly two hours ago. Watching intently, she could hear her mother humming, leaving her to assume only one thing; this person was either a guest, or was amazingly good at avoiding detection.

Launching at the chair, Kim felt her arms grip around the chest, using her momentum to pull them off and onto the ground. Landing with a loud thud and curses, Kim paused as the young man pulled himself up, straightening up his shirt. Taller and more muscular than she remembered, the young man watched as Kim eyed him over. Feeling slightly embarrassed, he paused as Rufus joined Kim, squealing excitedly in a pose reserved for kung-fu movies.

"Wade, is that you?"

"Is that how you greet people nowadays? I would have preferred –"

The remaining words were muffled as Kim launched herself onto him, almost crushing his ribs as Rufus ran up and launched himself onto Wade too, clasping his leg tightly as Wade tried to laugh. Kim released him, smiling brightly as her mum walked in.

"Good morning Kim. I would have told you sooner, but it seems you beat me to it," she said, handing both Kim and Wade hot chocolates. Rufus looked up expectantly and instead followed her back into the kitchen.

Sitting themselves down, Kim watched on as Wade hastily consumed his mug.

"So Wade, how are you? I mean I haven't heard from you in a year so the sudden visit; what's going on?" she asked as he finished the mug happily.

"Well, I've been flat out running my company for the past year, naturally being a kid genius; I've taken the time out to finally have a rest. I thought it would be nice to come back and visit, and maybe set up here again so I'm not so far away from everyone."

Kim watched and smiled when she saw what confirmed her suspicions. "Wade, you and I both know you aren't here for a holiday. What's the stitch?"

"Even after a year, you can still pick it?"

Nodding, Wade sighed. "So much for being a child genius; well there is a problem Kim," he whispered as Kim leaned in.

"Haven't you noticed lately how no one asks for your help?"

"Well, I have been in hospital lately, so I wouldn't have noticed," she replied as Wade pulled out a small laptop. Typing madly, he paused and moved over to her, showing her the screen.

"Villains, ones we know and ones we are less familiar with, have been dropping in activity for a while now, which is making many people nervous. I've been tracking it for the last few weeks, and even then, they have been almost vanishing one by one."

"Vanishing?"

"Not literally, but their activities have ceased. No records, legal and hacking wise have come up with anything. Even Drakken appears to have gone silent, which is especially unusual for him, as this would be the perfect opportunity to expose any current fears the world is having. I have been looking, but there is nothing to go on."

Kim looked at the screen. "Wade, are you telling me that the entire crime network is on holidays?"

"I wish they were but..."

Clicking on one of the images, it became larger to reveal a large monster, one Kim knew all too well lying on the bank, his eyes blank and face shocked. If she could feel pity or sadness for him, she would have felt it. But after the Ron experience, she was less likely to appreciate it.

"Gill; what has he got to do with this?"

"He was found dead a week ago. There was no official reason given, but from what I've gathered, he didn't die from natural causes; he was murdered."

Kim looked at him as her mum entered, placing down food before returning to the kitchen to hear a loud burp not usually capable for a rodent of Rufus's size. "Who would kill Gill?" she asked as she took a bite out of the pancakes.

"That is what puzzles me. I have a lead, but it makes no sense. I thought at first a hero had, like Shego's brothers, but when I checked the medical report, the death was too professional, too clean to be done by a hero during a fight. Then I thought of villains with grudges. If there were any, they are too loud and proud not to leave their marks on the victim," Wade muttered as he took another bite of the food.

"Then who would?" Kim asked as she picked up a staggering Rufus.

"An unknown villain, one you are yet to encounter. They call themself –"

The phone rang loudly as Mrs Possible answered it. Walking into the living room, she paused as Kim and Wade polished off the remaining pancakes. "It's for you Wade." Walking out into the kitchen, Kim followed and listened as Wade hurriedly talked with the stranger.

"Yes, I know...Yes...No. That wouldn't be good...Sure...No, I know what I'm doing...Stuff the rule Hayden; just do it, or find yourself another techie...alright bye," placing the phone back, keeping his back to Kim.

Several moments passed before Kim broke the silence. "Who was he?"

"A tracker," he replied. "And a damn good one at that."

"A what?"

Wade turned to face her, his face deadly serious. "A tracker is what the name implies. They find people, dead or alive, by any means possible. I've had this one searching for Ron, with little luck so far."

"You've been searching too? Why didn't you tell me?" Kim asked, placing her hands firmly on her hips, a reminder to Wade of her former persuasive self.

"Because Kim, I found him."

The world around her seemed to open up; suddenly, Kim felt the dread leave her, her misery vanish and her heart leap for joy; he was alive! "Where is he Wade? Is he here? When did you see him?"

"I saw him a year ago; Bueno nacho is too precious to Ron for him to resist not visiting every once in a while. We talked briefly before he left."

"What did you talk about?" her eyes pleading with him to divulge.

Wade remained silent, his eyes avoiding her completely. Kim curled her fists, determined to know what they had spoken about. "Tell me Wade," the sharpness in her voice even catching her by surprise.

"Don't do it Kim," he replied coldly. Kim broke; all the anger vanished. Falling back onto one of the kitchen seats, Kim felt her heart skip a beat as Wade sat down opposite her, his once child-like face now the resemblance of an older man.

"Why won't he come back Wade?" she asked softly, her eyes on the verge of tears.

"Because of the Hand of Fate; the new villain I was trying to tell you about. From what I've found, this one is one of the most cunning but brutal villains I have ever seen. Ron can't return here, otherwise something terrible would happen. He didn't say what would happen, but from what he said, it wasn't good."

Kim watched as Wade paced the room, muttering under his breath furiously. "Before you even think of it Kim, do not try and find him please. He hoped that you would one day understand."

Kim snapped. "What? You expect me to sit around while my boyfriend is possibly running for his life?"

"No Kim. I expect you to leave him."

Kim stood her eyes only inches from Wades.

"How would you know about the hurt? What do you understand about the pain and torment I go through every time I see and think about him? Nothing Wade!"

Wade watched as Kim's eyes began to swell, the pain of all those years coming back to her in one full sweep of hurtful memories. Clenching her fists, she stormed off, pounding the floor so hard that her own feet begged for respite. Wade watched and sighed; she was stubborn to a fault, but she was Kim Possible for a reason. Taking his leave, Wade left the house as he felt the phone go off. It was Kim.

"Just watch me go Wade," she spat and hung up. Wade smiled; the bait was taken.

**LIB**

Cracking ran all up and down his back as the student left his office. Having had three students see him today, Hayden was beginning to enjoy the job he had managed to acquire. Although he was feeling quite sick from the constant review of files, courtesy of the school and medical hospitals in the area, Hayden was about to leave and head into town when he heard the radio begin to play once more. It was turned off when the students came, but it stopped once they began the sessions. Slowly, the singer began to sing:

_Love is blindness_

_I don't want to see_

_Won't you wrap the night_

_Around me_

_Oh my heart_

_Love is blindness..._

The words gently filled his mind as his radio continued to speak its mind. He sat and listened, his eyes closed but mind open as breath escaped his lungs painfully. The wind had become sharper, the air colder and his heart darker. He felt it grow, like poison in his veins; the darkness was starting to overtake him.

Sighing, he meandered to the window. Crisp, fresh snow flakes danced gently on the morning breeze as he watched the school's snow machine warm up before winter's arrival. Determined to be the most snow covered school this year, Barkin had ordered the machine last spring, an investment Hayden was not entirely sure about. But then again, he was not in charge.

Closing the song, the singer's final chant echoed hauntingly in his head. The words swirled and twirled, each one fighting him individually on the battleground of his heart. Spitting in disgust, he returned to his chair. A small tap at his door caught his attention. Scanning the room hastily, the clock sat perfectly still on his desk as it ticked over; 10:00 am. Letting out a large sigh, Hayden adjusted himself in the chair, relaxing himself as he faced the door.

"Come in," he said, watching the silhouette reach for the door handle.

A girl, with faint shades of red and slender built body walked in, her emerald green eyes flashing as she scanned the strange room, obviously paranoid about the possible threat of an attack. Gesturing to the seat in front of him, Hayden simply watched as she sat down gently, the door shutting behind her firmly as he pulled out the file on Kim Possible.

Scanning it endlessly, he peered over, seeing her look around nervously. If he hadn't known why she was here, he might have thought her paranoid, delusional maybe to a certain extent. But, such was the nature of being who she was, she would always be watching, always awaiting any form of reprisal that may threaten her and her loved ones. That, was something he could understand well. Placing it onto the desk, the folder remained open as he looked her into her eyes, both full of doubt and anxiety.

"Good morning Miss Possible."

"Please, call me Kim. Everyone else does," she muttered, looking away as Hayden held his gaze.

"Well Kim, my name is Hayden. You know why you're here?"

"Of course," her gaze elsewhere, "I am here because of my attempted suicide. Surprised?" she said, looking at an almost bemused Hayden.

"If I was, I try not to show it. Strange though," he said.

"What is strange?" she asked, finally looking him in the eye.

"Why did you do it? Pressure? School? Stress? Anxiety?"

"I don't need someone who is going to waste my time Hayden," she growled, "I am only here because my parents have requested it."

"And as you are, it would help you to understand what you have done. Obviously, the reason must not be important to you if you will not share it. However, I can't let you leave these meetings until I can help you move on."

He watched silently as she slowly stirred. He shouldn't have struck a low blow with her, but she was not going to budge in her revealment of her attempt unless he pursued it straight away. He remained calm as she stood up and moved to him, her eyes glaring as she moved to within inches of his face.

"I don't need anyone to help me move on," she whispered, and left for the door.

Her hand stretched out for it, feeling the coldness rupture her body. "How is Ron?"

She froze; if anyone could have made her break down uncontrollably from the mere mention of a name, Ron would win, each and every single time. She remained still as she felt her heart race. "I wouldn't know."

"Perhaps, he was the reason?" he said as she collapsed onto the ground, crying.

Moving from his desk, he moved towards her and helped her up, her body crumpled as she sobbed uncontrollably. Gently, he helped her to the seat, letting her cry as he moved the back of his desk. Pouring the coffee into the cup, he handed it to her. He sat and watched as she eventually regained her senses, drinking it quickly; he knew she would tell, but it would be a matter of time.

"If you do not want to talk about it now, we can discuss it later."

Kim shook her head. "No, I will. Just give me a minute."

Drinking the remains, she looked down, her eyes shut as she began to speak. "I haven't seen Ron in a year. He left the night of the formal. I've looked for him; I searched for months on end. Every possible trail, every scrap of detail he may have left led me to nothingness. I...I tried to end it," she whispered, her body shaking as he held her tightly. It wasn't usual for someone to do this, but he knew she needed it.

He wasn't sure about it, but he knew she was now going to leave. Tomorrow, she may explain more, but for now as he helped her to the nurse to call home, he would have to wait and ponder. There were still more important things at stake.


	5. Chapter IV: The Knot is Slipping

**Love is Blindness**

A Kim Possible Fanfic

**Disclaimer**: I do not own, and make no attempt to profit from the characters or stories of Walt Disney. Kim Possible is owned by Walt Disney.

**Background**: Set one year after the formal where Kim and Ron have foiled Drakken's attempt to take over the world with diablo robots.

**Note**: **There are drug references in this story and throughout, so anyone who may not wish to read this and further themes of suicide may wish to stop now. Read at your own risk.**

**Chapter IV: The Knot is Slipping**

Drumming his fingers onto the table, Drakken looked around in contempt as the guards moved about almost wildly; stopping only to make more room for the grand weapon he had designed. Like ants they worked, having now worked for ten hours straight and not taken a strike against him; yet.

But still, even he was amazed at the effort he himself had placed into this current plan. Although it could be said he tried harder than most evil geniuses, there was always an assumption that his brilliance was always thwarted by his untimely luck and laziness. Laziness was probably an overstatement; but if you had the employed services of nearly sixty men at any given time, why would you want to strain yourself? It was a fact he was remembering for the next convention. Spitting in disgust he sat down, the guards moving along still without a motion towards him.

The lair was starting to feel more like home, but even then, nothing would ever replace that horrible feeling that always followed him every time he created a new world; Kim Possible. Arch enemy number one, followed closely by the remainder of society. And then the buffoon she always brought with her. What was his name again? Taking a sip from the drink to his right, his gaze momentarily switched to the green glow that began to power up behind him. Damn it; she was pissed off already.

"Shego, why do you insist on killing me so passionately?" he muttered as the glowing smile turned to a smirk.

"Come on Doctor D. No one here would even notice; they probably wouldn't care too much either," she replied smoothly.

Drakken sighed inwards. She was probably right about it, but he would never admit it to her. Sometimes, she was just plain nasty and truthful about what she said.

"Perhaps you would rather find another job then? I'm sure Senior Senior would hire you, providing you could babysit his son."

"But then I wouldn't get my pay bonus each week," she whispered, so close to his ear he would have jumped if possible.

"I wish you wouldn't remind me," he snarled as he got up and headed to the window.

Despite her usual annoyance with him, Shego could see something troubling him quite clearly, something that was not normal even for Drakken. Walking towards him, she stopped half way, knowing that any mention about his family might cause him to freak out worse than she could. But maybe it was something else entirely.

"It was only once Doc; nothing has changed you know," she said, trying desperately to convince herself too. Laughing at her, Shego fired up her hands, the familiar hatred towards him growing once more.

"If that were true Shego, then kill me now; come on, no one would miss me," he replied carelessly.

Shego raised her hands and aimed them at his cold blue back; it wouldn't take long, just a single blow and then it would all be over. He would just become another body, another kill to add to her ruthless reputation. Then she couldn't; his tenderness and caring; her body would not move, her heart would not stop beating loudly. She could not kill him. Lowering them, she cursed at her own weakness.

"Perhaps, there is still some kindness left in you yet Shego," he said happily. With that, she threw the coffee cup and hit his head. Turning around, Drakken scowled at her as she left laughing.

"I hate it when she does that."

Even as she left, Drakken resumed his worry, the concern growing worse by the day. Although he enjoyed the peace and quiet, the simple fact that Kim Possible had not appeared lately was beginning to worry him. Heaven forbid that he missed her arrogance and that damn cheerleader crap, which only seemed to work for her and never against. For once, he would love to watch the girl fail; might teach her something important. Sighing to himself, Drakken looked out over the ocean, his cares a mile away; resting perhaps on Kim's shoulders was something neither of them would be able to handle.

**LIB**

Kim solemnly opened the door, her face a wreck once again, as the familiar sensation of dread and hope flooded her system again. If it was not for her parents, she would have left a long time ago. She had stopped caring about anything, the empty dismal existence of her life proving to be nothing anymore. But she had decided to change. Feeling the eyes of a particular person, Kim quickly sat down on the chair and waited, never looking up for fear of acknowledgement. Why was she acting this way? _Get a grip Kim; he is only a councillor,_ she thought as she felt his presence move behind her.

"Are you sure you want to continue this Miss Possible? I am only here for a short time; I could suggest another –"

"No. Let's just do this alright?" she said, never averting her eyes form the mug on his desk.

Smiling, he moved back towards the desk, suddenly feeling slightly more interested in her current predicament. As he sat down, he tried to catch her gaze, but she remained as stubborn as before.

"Kim, it would help if you were to look at me while we talk."

Hesitantly, she looked up. He looked slightly older than her, but not by much; perhaps a year or two at most. Strange; she had never seen one so young.

"That's better. Now, where do you want to start?" he said as he rested his head onto the back of the chair.

Kim resisted the urge to yell at him for something, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead she muttered something incomprehensible to herself, and continued to look down at her feet. Sighing, Hayden stood up and moved to the other chair in front of the desk. Silently he sat down, watching her intently as Kim twiddled her thumbs, playing no attention to anyone around her. He hated watching anyone like this, but Kim was broken; she needed to be rebuilt, but he was not the one to do that.

"Do you want to start with Ron?" he asked, keeping it to a gentle whisper as she winced slightly at the name. "Do you regret something?"

Kim remained numb; her mouth opened, but she couldn't feel the words come out. "Yes."

"What would it be Kim?"

"I..." she paused, her head spinning slightly as she comprehended everything. "I...might have hurt him."

Hayden watched as Kim steadied her breathing. "Ron vanished a long time ago, leaving without a note or even a goodbye to anyone. I already told you about my search but there was something else about it."

"What do you mean something else?"

_Walking into the hall, Kim felt the eyes of hundreds suddenly fixate on her and the blonde haired boy next to her. Used to the attention, she was surprised at the nerves which seemed to grip her tightly; would they approve? Would they allow it? Watching, Bonnie jumped out and yelled at them, laughing quickly before she was drowned out by a thunderous roar from the crowd. Beaming, Kim looked up at him. He was perfect her, the opposite and the perfect equal to her. Ron Stoppable grinned, sending those newly felt chills down her spine; that smile was beautiful. If she ever went blind, it would not be too bad._

_Walking to the centre of the room, the crowd joined in as Kim felt Ron guide her effortlessly to the music, the slow pace lighting her world as she took in everything; the smell, the taste, the sound and of course Ron. Twirling together, Kim felt her heart quicken; it was nearly time. Ron looked down at her, his face soft and gentle as her eyes locked onto his. Without a word, they moved as one. Softly and gently, Kim placed her lips on Ron's. Kim thought about all the cheerleader wins, all the games she had won, all the awards she had won, the first kiss she had had, the joy of foiling all the villains all over the world; this one kiss, this one tender moment had triumphed over all of them._

_The remainder of the night passed by quickly; before she knew it, Kim was being led to the car by Ron, her body so tired and exhausted. Before she could close her eyes, a figure moved towards her right, a flash of white. Alert, she looked around. There was nothing._

"_You ok K.P?" Ron asked as he got into the car alongside her._

"_Yeah...yeah I'm fine," she said as the car started. Snuggling into his ribs, Kim felt the weight of the world fade away as she felt the wonderful sensation of sleep kick in. Kim smiled; if she would have one wish, it would be to freeze this one moment forever..._

Hayden looked at her, his eyes scanning her endlessly. "It doesn't seem like you did anything to him."

Kim looked down, her eyes beginning to show signs of the heat that led to her crying. "But then, why did he leave?"

**LIB**

Although he hadn't admitted it to Kim, Ron had seen something. It was only for a second, a flash of white before it had faded away. He had felt a piece of paper in his pocket and knew better than to scare her. To be honest, Kim would often worry more than he possibly ever could. But the thought nagged him endlessly; he wasn't going to spoil her night, he owed her that at least. He would wait till he got home. Feeling the redhead's head snuggle into him, Ron smiled nervously, mainly because her father was in the front seat, eyeing Ron suspiciously. Beside him sat the always smiling Mrs Possible.

Placing a hand on her husband's arm, she turned to face Ron. "Long night for Kimmie then?"

"Yeah, you could say that," he smiled as he stroked her hair gently. Kim murmured before settling back into her position.

Helping Kim's father get her out of the car, Ron got into the passenger's seat and opened the note. Written in a handwriting he had never seen before, he read the note quickly, his face becoming paler by the minute as his mind began to move into overdrive. It couldn't be true, could it? He was startled by the car door opening to his left; Mrs Possible got in and buckled up, missing Ron stuffing the note back into his jacket. As the engine roared to life, Ron clenched his fist, his heart racing as they started for his home.

"That is a nice suit Ron; where did you get it from?" said a soft voice as Ron looked around. Realising she was talking to him, Ron breathed deeply.

"Well, it was my father's actually Mrs P. He never wore it. So I thought I might as well get some use out of it while I can still fit into it," he said as she smiled. Ron felt horrible but he wasn't about to explain everything to Mrs Possible, even if she did feel like she was the second mother he could confide in.

"So, does that mean you and Kim are an item then?" Mrs Possible said after a few moments of silence.

Ron nodded. "Do you think Mr Possible will...?"

Ann laughed as Ron smiled. "I wouldn't worry about him Ron; he may be protective, but he will have to learn that Kim is old enough to make her own choices. But," her tone had changed, sending a chill through Ron, "If you hurt her Ron, you won't need to worry about her father; you will have me to deal with," her voice cold as Ron sunk back into his seat.

Smiling at him, Ann returned her focus to the road as she pulled into the driveway. Stopping, she waited as Ron got his bearings together. It had been a long day for the both of them.

"Thanks for the ride Mrs P.," Ron said as he opened the door.

"That's ok Ron. Have a good sleep," she said as she waited for Ron to leave.

But he wouldn't. Like someone who had died, he would not move, his head bowed as Ann watched on. This was not like Ron at all. "Promise me you will look after her," he said gravely as he closed the door behind him. Watching on, Ann was about to go after him when she saw the front door open and close hurriedly. Sighing, she left the drive way and headed home, those words somehow chilling her body to the core.

**LIB**

Hayden waited as Kim hadn't moved for ten minutes after he had asked the question. Not a word had been said. Standing up, Hayden moved back to his chair, stretching as he did so and felt that familiar burning sensation begin again. Feigning concern, he sat down quickly.

"Kim, would you mind stepping out for a minute? I just need to make a call."

Kim moved on autopilot and went outside. Into the fresh air again, she awoke, turning around wildly as she finally registered the world around her. Hearing a noise, she turned and ducked, peering only slightly over the window's glass frame. Inside she watched as Hayden took out a needle and stuck it into his arm. Tense, sharp cries of pain echoed to her ears as Hayden let the liquid drain completely into his system. She watched as he glowed slightly before relaxing into the chair once more. Kim got up and walked away, her mind replaying the incident over and over again; who was this guy?

**LIB**

Sitting in the overly priced hotel room, Hayden rubbed his eyes as he felt the phone vibrate in his hand, the last few minutes wiped away as the needle lay on the floor of his room. Damn pain was growing faster and faster. If he wasn't careful, he might just lose it. Opening it up, he watched as a figure came onto the screen, looking marginally happier than the last time he had spoken to him.

"_Have you got it yet Hayden?__"_asked Wade, his fingers typing madly on the other end.

"Not yet. Barkin has warmed up to me, but I can't take it just yet; he would suspect me."

"_Maybe, but you will do better to retrieve it now; things are moving along rapidly Hayden, and I would hate to have to leave you behind too,__"_ Wade smiled, knowing full well Hayden would try and pay him back later.

"Have you had to leave me behind yet?" he yawned as Wade looked at him seriously.

"_Have you been talking to Kim?"_

Hayden looked at him, his concern growing. "Why do you ask?"

**LIB**

_Kim opened her locker, typing madly as Wade finally came into view. Wearing the same dark suit he had worn to her house, Kim was beginning to think he had not changed one bit; same clothes for each day._

"_Kim? What's up?" he yawned, another side effect of working late._

"_Wade, I need you to find out some information for me about Hayden, the new councillor." For a minute, Kim thought he had frozen at his name, but it might have only been her imagination; she was tired and in need of some rest anyway._

"_Sure. You do mean the Tracker?"_

"_That's him? Looks a bit young for that," she said as Wade smiled._

"_I could say the same for you. Anyway, there isn't much here but I'll send it to you; makes it easier for the Tracker when no one has any information on their whereabouts and past history."_

_Looking at the pages printing out, Kim scanned them endlessly. "How did you find this information then?"_

_Wade almost fell over, his eyes widened to a shock Kim had never seen before. "That is almost an insult Kim. Wonders why I help you sometimes. Besides, I'm not just anyone now am I?"_

_Kim smiled, reading over his past as fast as possible. "Is this everything Wade?"_

"_Of course."_

"_What about medical history?"_

_Wade now eyed her wearily. "Why do you want that?"_

"_I...saw him inject himself with something blue. It didn't look healthy either. Is he a junkie?"_

_Wade shook his head. "It wouldn't be good for his business. He is clean Kim."_

"_Well, could I have it anyway?" Cursing himself, Wade sent the file._

**LIB**

Hayden shook his head. "Even if she reads it, there won't be anything on it. Although that may complicate things."

Wade looked away as he typed madly. Watching the setting sun, Hayden walked towards it, slowly, and opened the glass door that led onto the balcony. Already feeling warmer, he closed his eyes, draining his thoughts of worry and care as the wind rustled his hair. An almost soothing presence spread over him, embracing and protecting him as he opened his eyes, taking in the beauty of the town in its afternoon bathing of the remaining sunlight. It was something different, something peaceful and tranquil that left him speechless but comforted at the same time that this was special and precious. A cough from the other end snapped him to attention.

"_Regardless of what she may know, if you can acquire the sword in the next few days, then we might still stand a chance."_

"Even if I do, how will I be able to use it?"

"_The sword is designed to react to the chosen one; if Ron Stoppable is indeed alive, then the sword will tell us exactly where to find him. Bit complicated, but it can act as a homing beacon to his location. But it all depends on whether or not we shall have a chance to use it."_

Hayden looked at him coldly. "What do you mean might still have a chance?"

Wade hung his head. _"__Because the game has changed__;__t__he time left grows thinner Hayden; Ron Stoppable's father was found dead yesterday__, murdered as was feared. He is making good work of his promise.__ Now, there are only two people left in this fight; Ron Stoppable and Kim Possible.__"_

**LIB**

Looking around at the marvel of the creation of destruction left behind in his wake, he moved swiftly towards the Scotsman, his blade in tow as the man yelled. Pitiful, but the cry would do nothing, even as he swung his golf club widely towards him. With a precise movement, the sword sliced through the handle, the look of shock evident on his face as he fell to the floor.

With wide eyes, he clambered for breath, each one more important than the last. Standing over him, a flicker of disgust melted over his face as the Scotsman looked around wildly, blood starting to seep from his mouth as his eyes locked onto the masked stranger. No longer cocky, he watched in fear as the stranger replaced their sword into the hold.

"Now, I'm not going to ask you again; where is Ron Stoppable?"

The man looked around wildly; his hand reaching for the club near his fallen bag...a crunching sensation of enormous pain flooded his nervous system as his arm lay motionless by his side.

"Try it again and I may lose my temper. Where is he?" the stranger asked, his patience thinning.

"How would I know?" he gasped.

"Wrong answer," he muttered as he raised the sword. Pushing down hard, he watched as the eyes of the Scotsman rolled back into his head, his face blank and frozen in time. A perfect finish.

Wiping the blade, the stranger left, knowing that there was one who would know about the boy and his location.

**LIB**

Cracking his fingers, Drakken walked towards the door, his face calm and for once, luck on his side. Having taken care of the health inspector, he pushed the button on the door. Darkness clouded his vision but he ducked, the flying glowing hand streaking across his head. Spinning on the ground, his kick narrowly missed the legs as the grunts grew. Cursing, the assailant swung again, this time searing the jacket he wore.

"Damn it Shego! These jackets cost an awful lot you know!" he screeched as Shego turned the lights on.

"Shesh; all you do is whinge Doc. Try and enjoy your life for once," she muttered as she sat down at her desk.

Drakken scowled and made his way to Shego's bed, placing himself well out of harm's way. For a while, the endless typing from Shego drove him made, the same keys being smashed into the board with such ferocity it was going to leave a mark on the magnificent desk he had gone and bought for her. Damn woman. Without a word, he closed his eyes and counted down from ten as Shego finally stopped her aimless task.

"What are you doing?" he said as he opened his eyes.

"Figuring out what it is that you are doing," she said, drinking the bottle of vodka senselessly.

Sighing, he walked towards her and took the bottle. "What? Give it back!" she yelled.

"And how do you plan to figure out my plan if this is how you are going to behave? Only clever wit and wisdom will find the answer, not a drunken buffoon."

"Ok," she said, "what is going on? You only leave enough security guarding at night to warrant a mild interest from even me; you leave the front door basically open, and now, you have eased off your plans with your giant laser device. Not that I'm worrying about the next pay check, but what are you planning here?"

Drakken turned from her, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. "Perhaps, there is more than meets the eye here. What if I told you that I had the final card up my sleeve?"

"I would say you had lost your marbles. What are you talking about?"

"Haven't you noticed Shego? You train more and more, only for the cheerleader and her buffoon not to turn up. This has led me to two conclusions about her current predicament. One, she is pregnant, more likely from that blonde hair boy...what is his name?"

"Ron?"

"Yes, that's the one. Or two, something has happened to that boy."

Shego looked up, the anger subsiding. "What do you mean? How would it affect the princess?"

"She would be crushing, I think is the word, on that boy, and as a result of something happening to him or between them, would be affected and would cease her work."

Shego looked at him surprised. Was he claiming to understand the complex and delicate workings of the human nature and in particular, the female mind and its workings? Drakken resumed his pacing, muttering something under his breath that Shego could not discern from a curse or a made up word. He stopped, his head bowed and eyes shut.

"So what is this card then? I am playing on the idea it is metaphorical," she said casually, trying to stop the interest from growing in her voice.

"Of course it would be. It is the final plan that will destroy Kim Possible once and for all," he cried out maniacally. Shego sighed.

"You have no idea do you?"

"That my dear is for me to know and you to find out. Speaking of which," he muttered as alarms went off around the base. Moving into the control room, Drakken slammed his fist into the control booth, as Shego grinned evilly. Watching the screen, a figure, small and delicate moved through the guards with ease, knocking each one down with clinical and minimal fuss.

"Well Drakken, looks like princess is back."

"Damn you Kim Possible," he muttered. "Damn you to hell."


	6. Chapter V: The Return of Ron Stoppable

**Love is Blindness**

A Kim Possible FanFic

**Disclaimer:** I do not own, and make no attempt to profit from the characters or stories of Walt Disney. Kim Possible is owned by Walt Disney.

**A/N: There are drug references in the story. Should any find it distressing, please do not read on. Read at own risk.**

**Chapter V: The Return of Ron Stoppable**

Walking into the room, Kim pushed aside another guard, her heart racing with excitement as the smouldering lair crumbled around her, the air thick with the hesitant smell of fear. Deep beneath the rubble Kim could hear a mutter, more likely a curse that only resonated in her ears for a moment before the weight of the prison gave way; Kim smiled. Shego was taken care of and now only one person remained in her sight; Drakken. Walking towards him, Kim could feel him panic, his heart thumping harder and harder, going almost beyond the point of pain. He was afraid and he should be; if he knew anything about Ron and had not told her, she was going to make him pay dearly.

Licking her lips, Kim felt alive, more so than before. If it weren't for the fact she was essentially a hero, she would have extracted some of her past pain upon him without a second's hesitation. Watching him move from her presence, Kim pulled out her phone, readying her fingers to dial the number she knew so well. One call and Drakken would be away again for a long time. Or at least two weeks. Either way, she was holding the power for the first time in a long time. And it felt good.

Standing above him, Kim looked down in pity, something that always seemed to snap her out of her moments of madness. Although they were enemies, Kim still hated to see anyone like this. It reminded her of the all too familiar pain of watching someone suffer, something she had never been comfortable with. Standing back slightly, she looked over Drakken. Covered in bruises, and three small cuts to his face which now bled slowly but thickly, he heaved breath into his lungs, almost fighting to stay alive amongst the chaos and madness surrounding him. Alarms whirled, lights flashed red as people ran, fleeing the building which now resembled a wreckage yard rather than the majestic and awe-inspiring base Drakken had envisioned.

Kim stretched out her arm, clasping his coat in her hand as he squirmed only ever so slightly, but enough to confirm his fear of what may happen.

"Possible; I should have known something like this would happen," he spat, his eyes still full of fear.

"I have been overdue for a while now Drakken. I'm glad to see you still remember me."

"I almost didn't with your hair so brown, although it does look like it is changing back. And now that I can see you, your eyes have changed too. And where is that buffoon of yours anyway? Weren't you two dating at some point?" he asked curiously.

Daggers and fire would have been better chosen to hurt Kim; luckily for Drakken Kim was a hero and a role model who would never do anything wrong in front of the world. Unfortunately, the security system was knocked out and lying in pieces around the base. With great speed, she broke her hand across his face, a loud stinging slap firmly imprinted on his left cheek. The blood from the cuts seeped down his face faster as he touched the gentle area. Drakken said nothing.

"What do you know about his disappearance?" Kim shouted at him.

"The buffoon's disappearance? Nothing," he said as his eyes fell on Shego. Damn it.

"You don't sound too convincing Drakken; perhaps a reminder may help," she said as she slapped him again. This time he did respond, yelling at her with anger.

"Damn you Possible! I don't have a clue about what happened to the boy."

Kim's fists were shaking. That last one was good and had hit the spot nicely. Her heart was crying out for more, outweighing the guilt she felt at handing out such horrible punishment. She glared at him and grabbed his collar; dragging him to the edge of the base, she held him loosely over the edge, the fall great enough to ensure he would suffer terribly before his passing into the next life. Drakken tried to move, but his body was empty; bones felt broken, something he had not felt previously, as well as the main ones his shoulders. Figured; the impact from the falling debris had been greater than he first thought. Tears began to stream down his face as he tried to fight back but the effort was proving to be too much with no ground beneath his feet.

"Tell me what you know!" she yelled, her grip slackening only slightly.

"I don't know –"

"Don't give me that! You know every villain in the world, most of whom are now your enemies. You would know if someone kidnapped him! Tell who it is!"

Drakken faced her, noticing her face was now showing the glimpses of red her hair once possessed. "The boy is not being held by anyone I know! And I don't know every villain in the world," he said as Shego stirred slightly. More than likely she had a broken arm and possibly two ribs, and from what he could see, some fairly extensive wounds.

"Rubbish," she spat as she lessened her grip. "I might as well drop you now."

"It would be better than meeting that new one."

Kim paused. "New one?"

"The new villain; Hand of Fate. I have met some weird people in my time, but even this one has me scared. They know everything about all villains, something we have all tried to do for years. But now, they not only know our secrets, they know who we are, and if recent reports are to be believed, he or she is making a good fist of eliminating all connected to evil."

"But why?"

"How should I know? I'm an evil genius, not a psychologist," he said as Kim gripped him tighter.

"Can you find Ron?"

He looked up; no longer blazing with fury, Kim was looking at him sadly, as though her faith was hinging on what he would say next. "Perhaps, but I would need to be alive for that."

"Either way I don't care," she retorted.

"For some reason I do. I will help you Possible on one condition; you need to protect me from this new one," he whispered as Shego tried to stand, only for a cry of pain to echo around the disembodied ruins.

Rubble began to break loose under her feet as she heaved him onto the ground once more. "Deal; but we need to go now if you want to make good on your protection," she said as Drakken nodded and raced to Shego's side.

Typing into her phone, the zooming hover of the transport she had acquired arrived, landing in the open half of the building. Shego looked and smirked at Kim, who glared back as Drakken gently took her up the ramp. "I hope you know how to fly this princess; I don't want to become another victim of your driving," she laughed as Kim punched her in the arm.

"Perhaps we leave it alone for now Shego?" Drakken whispered as Kim darted ahead and strapped in. The base was beginning to fall down on top of them as they soared out, Drakken and Shego hanging on for dear life as Kim navigated past the falling rubble and out into the blue sky, the jet flying smoothly and classily away from the now exploding building. Looking back, Kim could see the island begin to erupt into fire, slowly sinking down into the ocean from whence it came.

"Why do all your high-tech bases explode?" Kim asked as Drakken treated Shego's wounds.

"For the same reason your friend vanished; I just don't know."

**LIB**

"Why you are so interested in this sword Hayden is beyond me; it is only a relic, a reminder to me of the grand times I had," Barkin whispered as the two of them strode down the hall way, watching the students move between their next classes.

"So I suppose you would not mind me borrowing it for a short while?" Hayden asked as they walked into Barkin's office, the secretary looking down and finding the paper work in front of her more interesting than the appearance of her boss.

"Not on your life."

Hayden stopped, causing Barkin to turn to him. Already in his office with the curtains drawn, his shadow cast a menacing sight on Hayden as he sat down on the chair opposite Barkin. Sighing as though his life was leaving him, Barkin looked at him, his face sad yet firm.

"Although I do like you Hayden, I am still not entirely sure about letting you use the sword, even for research purposes. It took me years to find a sword that would resemble my first and only love for the katana and to see it out of my sight…"

"I can guarantee you Steve, I am too a studier of the art of Samurai. I only wish to observe it and look at it from a creator's point of view. It has taken me years to find one that has this same design so it would be stupid of me to damage it."

Barkin looked at him, scanning him over and over again before looking down. "One hour. I will give you one hour to look over it. Tomorrow I will send the sword to you, and you will have exactly one hour to look over it. After that I am locking it away; apparently you are not the only one with their eye on the sword it would seem," Barkin said as he turned away from Hayden.

"Who else has their sights on this sword?" he asked curiously.

"I do not know, but lately someone has been trying to hack into my accounts, trying to figure out where I sent the sword. Personally, it is only a sword, nothing more. However, even now I am more concerned about why this person is after it. But, enough of my time is wasted here Hayden; I will send it tomorrow."

Hayden nodded and walked away, his eyes gleaming with joy. This was going to be a piece of cake. Rubbing his arm, he grimaced slightly as he walked into his office. In less than twenty four hours, he would have the chance he had been waiting for nearly six months; the chance to reunite Ron Stoppable and Kim Possible. And knowing the fight, they were going to need them.

**LIB**

Scratching off the dirt in her hair, Kim flexed her shoulders, the blows from Shego still painful as she let the water run over her. Small scars, ones she had neatly cleaned up herself, adorned her back, the largest one roughly eight centimetres long and four inches wide, a painful reminder to always watch your back. She rubbed her eyes, trying to think of something else apart from Ron. The last few days had been a welcome relief to her constant thoughts, but now, once the mission was over, she was left in her wake thinking about him all over again.

Grabbing the cloth, she rubbed her face as she pondered the next twenty-four hours. Drakken was in the basement, working away with her mother on mending Shego's extensive wounds. He had promised her to start finding him as soon as possible, but even she doubted how much he would be able to access at home. Although she had made her father promise not to kill him, Kim was sure that he would not allow Drakken to go near any of his equipment, let alone any scraps he may have lying around.

A low moan of pain reached her ears as she stopped the water. Shego had been tough when they brought her in, the wounds deep enough Kim could almost put her pens into them and wiggle them about. But something about seeing your own blood can be extremely nauseating and scary. Once Shego had seen the full extent of her injuries apart from the broken bones, her face went paler than Kim had ever seen it. The few remaining chunks of food in her stomach were held in as she was put under, allowing her mother to finally get to work and try to sort out the mess left from the bloody encounter.

Even as she dried and dressed herself, Kim could not help but wonder at how Drakken was going to help them. Sure, he was brilliant, but even he would have his limits as to helping her. But an offer was an offer; Kim slipped under the covers of her bed, content to know that even if Drakken should provide some assistance to her, she could not trust him completely. There was something about him, and something about Shego, that seemed to indicate that one false move and she would be the one on the table, throwing up over her own injuries.

Shaking her head, slowly and peacefully Kim drifted into her much sort after rest. If Drakken were to cross her it would be swift. But for now, they were on the same team and facing a similar cause; protection for the ones they cared about it. And that was something the two of them both understood completely.

**LIB**

Standing amongst the crowd, Hayden watched closely as people filed past him, their empty words leaving nothing to his imagination as the first few rays of light entered the town edge, bathing the pavement he walked on with a warmness and peacefulness he had not felt in a long time. For the first time in three months, the pain was finally starting to ease and he was beginning to feel more alive than before. The needles were no longer a necessity to surviving the day sanely.

Stretching, he walked into the shop, ordering casually before taking his seat beside the window. As though by fate, the sun rose, its brightness casting shadows onto the walls of the coffee shop illuminating all within. Hayden smiled. Not a smile of death, or one of contempt or grimaced pain. He was happy. People could have been swearing and cursing his existence but he would not have cared. In a few hours time, the same weapon that had slain and saved lives years before would be unleashed, its main goal to find the one young man who would control it; Ron Stoppable.

"Here you are sir; will there be anything else?" the waitress asked, brushing the brown locks of hair behind her left ear.

"No thank you," he smiled as she left, grinning as she made her way to the next customer.

Hayden took a sip and shivered; he had only had coffee twice before today, and this one was nothing compared to the others; it would have to grow on him over time. Yawning, he watched silently as the morning joggers began their treks through their morning routes. Dressed as though he was going on a mission, Hayden adjusted his vest hidden by the trench coat. Not that the problem would be in here; he was sure someone had been following him lately. Precautions had to be taken in his line of work.

Someone moved behind him as he sipped it. Slowly, his hand moved to his knife concealed in his holster. They inched closer. He could smell the scent. The air was thick with blood; preferably not his own. Gripping the handle, he relaxed it slightly; once slice, one kill, nothing more. Slowly, he moved it out.

"Hey, aren't you the councillor?"

Hayden looked around to see the familiar face of Bonnie Rockwaller, one of the most popular girls in school, not for being likable, but for her ruthless and cunning strategies that often saw her come out on top and remain on top regardless of the circumstance. Smiling hastily, he motioned for her to sit down, taking another sip of his coffee. Same bitter taste; definitely needed some more sugar.

"And you must be Bonnie?" he asked, knowing full well who she was and was quite capable of.

"Nice to see you remember me handsome. How old are you again?" she smiled, looking him up and down.

"Twenty-three," he replied hastily.

"Shame," she said, "You seemed like a nice guy."

"It would only complicate things Miss Rockwaller. Perhaps in another life we could meet up," he replied as he took another sip, with the added sugar. He smiled; much better. "I don't know if I can wait that long."

Hayden looked up. "What are you talking about?"

"There is much more to you than meets the eye; your manners are not from around here. Your walk and style is strange. Even the way you talk to me," she said, taking a sip if the drink in front of her.

"Perhaps you just need someone to talk to?"

Bonnie shook her head. "No offence Hayden, but you are a councillor; your job is to get inside people's heads. You need to stay out of mine, or I will make you suffer."

Smirking, Hayden put down the coffee. "Seems I am not the only one with something to hide. Was there a reason you wanted to see me for?"

"Yes; what is with miss perfect seeing you all of a sudden?"

"That is none of your concern."

"It is if it affects my team; she must have a better reason than trying to kill herself?"

Hayden felt his blood begin to boil. Already becoming more irritated with her, Hayden was not in the mood to discuss any legality with her right now. "That remains between Miss Possible and me."

"Figures; one guy who could be likable, and he turns out to be a total jerk," she seethed.

"I shall see you later Miss Rockwaller."

Bonnie sneered before she left, wrapping herself up tightly as the wind began to pick up outside. Sighing, Hayden got up leaving his cup alone. Paying at the till, he left the store and headed for the door. As the cold wind greeted his body, Hayden tensed slightly as a sharp pain seared through his shoulder before vanishing. Gritting his teeth, Hayden marched down the pavement; pain gone or not, he would more than likely need the needle and shot before the day was out. So much for the clean day.

**LIB**

"No and if I have to tell you once more then you will not be working with me anymore. Just find him," Hayden slammed the phone down as Kim entered the room, their daily sessions becoming better than even Hayden could have hoped for.

"Good morning Kim, please sit down."

Doing as she was told, Kim took her normal seat opposite him, relaxing more and more into the idea of being able to offload her worries and be able to feel better about it afterwards. She had told him about the mission, strange as she never usually told anyone, but she felt comfortable with him and around him, just like she had with…shaking her head she looked at him as he talked with another person on the phone.

_He is not Ron, _she thought in a vain attempt to remove him from her mind. She could feel him holding her, caressing her and touching her in ways she had never thought of. _NO! I __can't__ be crushing on the councillor_. Kim tried to look away, feeling slightly flushed and embarrassed by the whole event. Hayden had not noticed, instead his attention was focussed entirely on the phone call. Leaning back, he did not even notice the sword being placed down in front of him, the young boy nodding before leaving silently, leaving Kim to look at the sword curiously.

She had seen this before, but where and how? Hayden hung up the phone as Kim leaned forward, her hand outstretched, yearning to touch it and to answer why she knew this particular blade so well. Inches away, her fingers could almost grab the handle…Hayden grabbed her hand, stoping her. She looked up, confused and unsure of what to make of Hayden's actions.

"You don't need to touch it Kim; I think Barkin is upset enough with me over this as it is."

She nodded, but continued to stare at it. "When did Barkin get a hold of such a delicate blade?"

"Months ago I think. Even I don't know the full details. It is only here because I have requested to examine it from a purely professional point of view. So Kim, how are you today?"

"Fine, same old Kim Possible sitting in your room once again," she smiled; her face ached from doing this lately. It had been a long time since she smiled constantly.

"Well, that is good to hear. It seems your hair is turning red once more. How long has this been going on for?"

"You noticed? Last few days now. It seems to be turning back to what it once was, although I had gotten used to the faded brown. But anyway, this is my second last session right? So I don't need to come here after tomorrow?"

Checking the book laid out before him, Hayden scanned the list. His own schedule finished this week, and Kim's name with him too. So this was the second last one today. Fitting; he would not be seeing her again after today anyway. Resting his hands on his head, Hayden smiled as Kim looked at him strangely.

"Are you alright?" she asked, noticing the smile was becoming more and more familiar to her.

"Yes, I'm fine; I just had a happy thought."

Kim began to tap her fingers on her knee as Hayden stood up and headed for the coffee behind him. "So Kim, how do you feel about Ron now?"

Kim paused as she thought it over. "I still want him back; the feeling is not as strong as before, but I still want him back all the same."

Hayden nodded as he sat down. "That is a good statement. What if I were to tell you that I can now find Ron Stoppable without a doubt?"

Shock swept over her face as Hayden grinned happily. "This is not a joke Kim. I have found out how to track him down and find Ron."

"Really? How? Where is he? Can we find him now? Come on let's go find him now before anything else happens," she stood, raising her fists in glorious victory. She was going to find him.

Hayden simply sat and smiled. Kim's jumps for joy stopped as she noticed his apparent lack of shared joy over the matter. "What is in it for you?"

Hayden's smiled eased away. "The same as always; I was hired by someone to find him and now that I can, I intend to fulfil my obligations," he said as he stood.

"And what would they involve exactly?" Kim asked, worried about his sudden change.

"Taking care of you," he whispered as his hand raced to the sword.

Kim dodged the first swipe as Hayden launched for her, narrowly missing the door as he did so. Kim returned a kick, but the side of the sword blocked it, shining a faint blue as Hayden again leapt into the air. Swinging from side to side, Kim stepped in and out of the swings, as streaks from their fight began to etch into the carpet. Hayden landed, paused and watched as Kim breathed heavily.

"I guess this would not be the first time this has happened to you Kim. Trusting someone and then being betrayed by it, such a sad story. Perhaps I can ease the pain for you," Hayden smirked as he swung. Kim dived, landing between Hayden's feet and spinning around. Falling, Hayden stretched out his hand, his legs already giving way as the sword spun out his hand, landing silently near the cabinets.

"Alright Hayden, think you can fight me hand to hand? Let's find out who is stronger; me or you."

Before he could react, Kim punched. Landing an upper cut to his chest, Kim felt the air leave his lungs, his face pale and eyes wide open with shock. Kim smiled. But the smile turned to horror as Hayden smiled back. "My turn."

Grabbing her left arm, Hayden spun her around and launched her at the wall, a crunching noise filling the room as Kim cried out in pain. He had so much strength. Hayden was powerful beyond anything she had ever seen. Staggering up from the floor, blood dripped steadily from the back of her head, splashing the carpeted floor. Flexing her muscles, Kim felt the pain give way as her shoulder ached terribly. Looking at him, Kim felt her hatred boil over. She wanted someone to hurt and now she had it.

"Is that all you have? Perhaps I overestimated you," she taunted as Hayden grinned.

"Good. I was worried I had begun to overestimate your ability Kim; still cocky and arrogant. I like it. It will be perfect when you finally meet your end. The Hand of Fate sends their regards."

Kim breathed heavily as Hayden raced at her, his right fist aimed for her head. Dodging to the side, she spun and landed her left fist into his right shoulder, a crunching sensation sending shivers up her spine. Howling in pain, Kim jumped over the desk and ran for the sword, leaving him to cry out. Hayden had seen her and despite the possible break, dived over the desk and raced alongside her to it. Their hands outstretched, they dived for the sword. Kim reached for it, knowing if he got it once more, it would be all over.

Both crashed hard onto the floor, slamming into the file cabinets with such force that the cabinet bent over them, forming a corpse like hollow of the two combatants. Both remained still for a second before they jumped up, each one locking on to the other ones eyes. Kim held up the sword as did Hayden. One hand on top of the other. Hayden froze as did Kim. The sword began to glow blue, more powerfully and stronger than before. Hayden could feel the burn begin as Kim held on tightly as pain shot through her. Lighter and brighter it glowed, surrounding the room in a light brighter than possible from a source apart from the sun. Hayden watched as the sword began to shake violently, the pain shotting throughout his entire body and was intensifying with each second that passed. Kim felt her body begin to shake; what was happening?

Hayden let go, the pain burning in his whole body as the sword eased its brightness. He writhed on the ground in pain as Kim felt her breathing ease. Holding the sword, she aimed it at him as his cries for help fell on deaf ears. Slowly, he began to turn blue himself, a glow surrounding him as Kim looked on. Flames all shades of blue wrapped around his body, moving like a waterfall over his face before consuming his chest and legs. Screams of agony erupted from his body, unearthly calls that scared Kim to the bone. Opening one eye, he looked at Kim and cried out.

"The serum! I need it now."

Kim tried to move but could not. The sword seemed to have frozen her to the spot, making her unable to move from it. Hayden tried to reach for the pocket on his belt, and grabbed out the needle. Moving it to his arm, he froze. The needle burned hotter than ever and let out a piercing scream before it blew up, shattering into fine particle dust. Hayden roared in pain. The blue flames intensified as it began to turn white. Bathed in white, the screams ended as Kim shielded her eyes from the white light in front of her. The room shook as Hayden writhed on the floor, glass shattering as Kim huddled into a ball.

Finally, the shaking stopped. Kim remained motionless. The cries had ended, but she dared not see what had happened to him. Whimpers reached her ears, but they were not Hayden's. Peeking from the arms that surrounded her face, she saw something that instantly startled her. The sword dropped harmlessly to the side as she uncurled and moved over to the body. No longer the shape and size of Hayden, this body was more defined, slightly longer and now had not mousy brown hair, but striking blonde hair, with a slight curl at the front.

Opening his eyes, Kim looked down at him as tears began to form in joy. Grinning slightly, he looked at her and smiled. Kim looked at him longingly, her heart now racing a million miles an hour. The blue eyes looked at her in admiration and deep love. "Hey KP," he muttered weakly before falling into unconsciousness.

Kim smiled as she picked up his head and placed it onto her lap. Tears dripped onto his clothes as she held him tightly. "Welcome back Ron."

**LIB**

**A/N: Hey, thanks for bearing with me; been extremely busy so hopefully this makes up for it. So now that Ron is back, the game shall now begin. Hand of Fate still to come and this is only the beginning. As always, please feel free to review, as it will help to continue the story. The next chapter should be up sooner than this one; we shall see. Until then, have fun!**


	7. Chapter VI: On My Heart

**Love is Blindness**

A Kim Possible FanFic

**Disclaimer:** I do not own, and make no attempt to profit from the characters or stories of Walt Disney. Kim Possible is owned by Walt Disney.

**A/N: There are drug references in the story. ****To CB73: hope this explains a bit ****more****. And also a special thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story – you are the people that help keep it going.**

**Chapter VI: On My Heart**

Ron stirred slightly, his face feeling the strange sensation of resting on his own soft pillow as morning birds stirred outside his window, the brisk chirping waking Kim from beside Ron's bed. Having been awake for most of the night worrying about him, the black bags around her eyes seemed to ache from the lack of sleep. But watching him snore on happily, she couldn't help but smile. Ron had finally returned to her life and was resting peacefully in front of her. He was here in her life again, and nothing else in her life seemed to matter. The mood though morphed as she looked to the door; her heart heavy, she worried for what she knew would await a more conscious Ron.

Ron hadn't said a word for half a day, mainly because of the unconsciousness state he had been in and also for the fact that when he tried to he would fall asleep once more. And even now as he slept, Kim had so many questions, whose answers could only be given by one man. Where had he been and what had he seen? Kim had to know. Poking him, Kim watched as Ron stirred slightly once more, this time opening his eyes only partially before registering the presence of Kim. Yawning deeply, Ron sat up and rubbed his eyes, taking in the sight around him. The room had not changed since he left. Still in a pale blue, the desk and clothing in the closest remained the same. Looking down at his pyjamas, his eyes widened in shock.

"Purple monkeys…who gave me purple monkeys?" he screeched. Kim roared with laughter as Ron tried to rip his top off. Kim blushed as she examined his strengthening body, admiring how much he had developed, amongst other thoughts.

Ron grabbed another shirt from the end of his bed and put it on, breathing a sigh of relief as he examined the end product. He looked at Kim, who smiled happily at him as he realised what was going on. "Oh man, Dr P. is going to kill me," he shrieked as Kim shook her head.

"They already know about this Ron; don't worry, dad won't kill you yet. I asked them and they didn't have a problem, providing we did not share the same bed," she said as Ron once again breathed a sigh of relief.

"No arguing with the parents there. How long have I been out for K.P?" he asked as Kim felt like she had been shocked; no one had called her that nickname for a long time.

"Well, you have been out for a while; it's Saturday now, so it's a good day to wake up from your slumber I would imagine. I wasn't going to wake you until you were ready."

Ron smiled. "Thanks Kim. By the way have you seen Rufus?"

A small squeak of joy caught his attention as a familiar pink naked mole rat raced across the bed sheets and launched himself at Ron. Hugging the clambering friend, Ron cried as he held his little buddy tightly.

"I'm so sorry Rufus; I shouldn't have left you alone buddy," Ron whimpered as Rufus cried too, patting his buddy softly. Kim couldn't help but feel a little left out, but was happy to see the duo finally reunited after so long.

"I swear I'll make it up to you buddy; after a hearty breakfast, we will conquer and reclaim our home base; Bueno Nacho," he said dramatically, staring at the roof triumphantly as Rufus saluted him.

Patting him, Ron looked up and saw Kim sitting on the chair, waiting patiently for him to speak. Ron sat and stared, smiling as Rufus finally stopped his scouring of Ron and lay down on the pillow, stretching out lazily and snuggling down for some sleep. Ron left his bed and stood up, tucking in his little buddy before walking over to Kim. Before she could say anything, Ron picked her up off the chair and held her hands. Looking into his eyes, Kim blushed; she had nearly forgotten how beautiful they were, and how she melted into them every time he looked her way.

"Thanks Kim," he whispered as he hugged her tightly. Kim smiled and felt her eyes swell up; his hugs were always the one she would ask for time and time again. Wrapping her arms around him tightly, Kim cried joyfully into his chest, Ron stroking her hair softly.

"Ron…I…I'm so happy you are back," she said as he brought her eyes up to his.

"I shouldn't have left you Kim, I should have told you..." he was cut off as Kim kissed him firmly. Ron responded, embracing her lovingly as they held their pose, enjoying and savouring the moment they had. It had been a year since she had felt his lips, and she craved them more than ever. Hungrily, she almost tried to devour his lips, much to Ron's surprise as he held her tightly against him, wanting to tell her he was sorry, that everything would be alright and nothing would ever come between them.

For what felt like an eternity, Kim held him close before finally breaking apart for air. Ron smirked as Kim sat down on the bed, Ron joining her as Rufus stirred from his brief slumber, licking his lips at the prospect of nachos and pancakes. Holding his hand, Kim looked at him as he looked at the desk. "Remember the formal Kim?"

Kim looked at him and saw a strange look on his face; slightly crestfallen and reminiscent, Ron was looking at a photo on his dresser, once of the two kids laughing happily at the camera. Kim smiled as Ron snapped back to reality.

"How could I forget it Ron? It was the last time I had saw you," she muttered softly, Ron not hearing a word as he continued to look around his room.

"Well, it sure is great to be home now. By the way, how did you explain it to my parents? Being gone for so long, I know they would have been missing me badly," he said as his eyes lit up. Kim took one look and burst into tears. Confused, Ron put an arm around her as Kim cried into his chest.

"Ron, its…it's…" she whimpered.

"It is what Kim?" his voice soft as he tried to help her settle down.

"I…I…Ron, your dad. He's…"

"He's what Kim, dead?"

Kim sat still as Ron waited. However, as time passed, Ron came to realise why she said nothing. Numbly, coldly and sadly, Ron stood up, letting go of her hand and walking to the dressing table. Hunched over, Kim watched him intently as he did not move from the spot. She wanted to reach out to him. Frozen on the bed, she could not move as the grief washed over her. The room felt darker, it felt colder and now felt like they were standing in one moment, trapped forever in death and loss. Violently, a bottle crashed onto the side of the wall, shattering into thousands of pieces. Rufus jumped to life; Kim swiftly turned to Ron who collapsed onto his knees, sobbing uncontrollably. His father was gone; he never got to say goodbye.

"Ron?" she asked tentatively.

"He never did anything. What did he do to deserve this?" he spat, as his body began to shake violently, blue wispy flames shooting from his body. Tensing, his body began to reveal the blue power Kim saw the previous day; with a blood curdling roar of pain, Ron shouted out his hurt, the hollow spot in his heart now wounded and damaged beyond any conceivable pain. Tears streaked down his face as the glowing surrounding his entire body subsided.

Touching his chest, Ron felt dizzy and fell to the floor. Kim moved to his side as she saw his eyes; still open, they burned with hatred and with untold grief. Kim felt cold; the eyes she once loved were gone, replaced with the cold calculating gaze Hayden once processed. She patted his shoulder, stroking his hair as he remained motionless. Sitting down, she held him close, unable to comprehend the despair and pain Ron now felt.

**LIB**

Crouching on the mountaintop, he looked over the city of love. He did not really want to be here tonight; the whole feeling of the city was wrong. Love and peace never really sat well with him; being the two parts of the human mind he hated most of all. But it had to be done. Although he could not see it clearly, people were moving about enjoying the atmosphere of celebration, basking in each other's company and enjoying the fine food and wine on offer. Embarking on another attempt to outdo another event, the city had put on a miraculous show, containing the greatest talents of the world. Fireworks, bright lights and festive foods were the perfect way to celebrate a day that actually held no meaning to the people of the city. Cracking his knuckles, he looked to his watch as the night dawned upon them.

Streaks of pink, blue, yellow and white blended together, throwing the town into a sea of wondrous colour, flooding the streets with excitement and vibrant colours that seemed to bring the people into a roar of joyous celebration. He spat in disgust; damn people. They only ever held him back for years, denying him the chance to explore the world for his own, with their help. So this was his payback in a way. But there was one problem. He had almost destroyed the threat but for one reason or another, he escaped. Ron had eluded his death at his hands and for now this was the fate of others. He did not want to shed blood unnecessarily if this was possible.

But if no one would recognise his genius, then someone would be the victim of his rage. Brushing his hair back, he touched his watch once more. Expanding its screen to triple its size, he typed away on the screen until it came to a button on screen which said 'initiate'. He paused slightly; he did not want to expand on his current profile, but if they would not allow him the escapism and freedom he craved, then he would have to attain it by force.

Before he could press the button, his phone vibrated. Annoyed, he unfolded it and heard the voice on the other end. "If you fail in the quest to find it, then you will die too; I have no doubt that being where you are will help us. Find it and destroy it; that is an order," his crackled and muffled voice spoke before hanging up the phone. Fireworks over the town erupted to life, showering the town in the artificial glows and sparkles of light the crowd roared for. The music began to blear once more, dancing erupting in the streets as people moved in awe of the wondrous sight. Sighing he pressed the button.

Explosions roared to life, the night becoming shrouded in fire. Screams, the kind only a dying man would make crying out for his mother reached his ears sending shivers of delight through his system. He always did enjoy a good explosion; the crowning fact was the screams of terror and pain and the sirens that roared to life around the city. The largest explosion ruptured in the city; the Eiffel tower, its magnificence and glory a symbol for the people, shattered, the structure erupting into a ball of flames. The legs gave way as the tip slowly fell, the crowd surrounding it screaming and running. Children, men and women dived for cover or prayed a final prayer as the city icon fell into a heap, the burning smouldering body a naked skeleton of metal. Yep the city of love was definitely the place to be tonight.

**LIB**

Kim yawned gently as Ron rolled over in his bed once again, his eyes open but he was not going to respond to anything she said. It had been like this for three hours now after they had managed to move him onto his bed. His mother had longed not to have to explain but she had, while he curled into a ball on the bed, tears streaking his bed sheets as she tried to hold herself together. Kim could only watch; she had tried to comfort him but Ron would not respond or even register her presence.

Stretching her arms, she turned her phone off; she did not need to be bothered tonight by anything else. Gratefully she accepted the cup of soup from Ron's mother, leaving hastily before she could disturb Rufus. Rufus had been pacing the room vigorously and by now had left a small trail around the room, one which would make Ron proud. She wondered how long he would be like this; she knew it would hit him hard, but she didn't know how hard it would be for him.

**LIB**

The twins typed away furiously as Drakken hovered behind them, analysing and comprehending all possible spots the villain might use. Having been contacted by Kim less than twenty four hours ago, he had already made remarkable progress; progress he wished could always be achieved instead of having to pay for the labour that not only cost him money but also precious time. And as the two boys scanned and displayed each possible location, he grinned in joy; the next generation inspired him, despite being Possible's younger brothers. If this was where the future was heading, it would be in good hands.

Kim had contacted him shortly after finding out about Ron and was now acting upon her orders given to him what felt like a few hours ago. Time blurred when you didn't sleep well and Drakken knew he would get some rest once he had made sure of Shego's wounds once more. He was endlessly scanning and deciphering anything that may betray the location of the new fear, something Wade had been anxious to remind him of. Working together with the boy genius for once, he was nervous about the capabilities and also the constant threat of imprisonment, but so far he had been professional, something that made him respect the boy.

So far they had managed to rule out Russia, a breath of relief once Drakken knew; he had made too many enemies there in the past. Most of Africa was ruled out, while the majority of Europe in general was declared safe. That left the remainder of the world. Sipping the coffee next to the boys, he walked back and forth. He was not allowed to work the computers on the basis of Kim's father, but he would help anyway he could.

"Any luck so far?" Drakken asked as he picked up one of the charts.

Tim shook his head. "Whoever this guy is, they know more about our tracking systems than we do; I can't get a fix on half of the population of Australia and England, let alone most of America for that matter. For some reason we are being blocked, but not the way we would normally be."

Drakken hunched over his shoulder, watching as data streamed through quickly. "How are we being blocked?"

"Code mainly; whatever this guy knows or wants hidden, he knows us well. I've been trying to decode it for the last few hours and so far I have only been able to rule out the countries Tim told you about earlier," Jim said as other two turned to him.

Drakken looked at the map, crossing off the countries alphabetically. There must be a pattern to his continual emergence and disappearance. He had already tried sorting it through the villains he knew but there was no real connection to it. He knew about most of the deaths so far, but even now he would have to guess more than twenty were dead again. If he wasn't feeling so good, he would have thought he was under threat too. But with the protection he had, he owed it to Possible to find the villain, least not for his sake.

Small ringing on the screen of Jim caught his attention. Already clicking on it, Jim brought up the face of Wade who looked slightly more exhausted than the last time he had seen him. Hovering behind him, Drakken and Tim watched carefully.

"Any known locations?" Wade asked.

Jim shook his head. "I've already relayed to you what I found out a few hours ago, but from the looks of things we are in huge trouble; this code he is using against is proving to be more troubling than we first thought. How are things on your end?"

"There's been no difference since we last spoke. I might have established a small pattern on the coding, but for now it is only a theory. If he or she could establish something this complex, they must have had help on the outside; no one here would have the materials or the time to enact something this delicate on us without prior knowledge of our systems."

"You're thinking a double-crosser?" Drakken asked as Tim looked as him warily.

"It's a possibility; I can't really rule anything out until we have the details. I doubt you could have any Drakken; no one has had access to the computers without my knowledge prior to our search. But there is something slightly more disturbing at hand."

Opening the link near Wade's face, Jim and Tim gasped as Drakken felt his stomach turn slightly. Fire burned brightly, consuming all in its path with such terror that the men and women fighting the blaze were losing the battle so far. The camera panned around, showing the trio the true horror of the scene; people lay on the ground, either crying for help or else otherwise. But that was not what scared the boys; bodies, men, women and children lay still on the ground. Some were so burnt…Jim looked away as Drakken kept staring. As people rushed past the screen, not all of the victims were crying; some were whimpering but most were being moved along by the remainder of the crowd. Most were either covered in ash, blood or a mixture of the two.

Tim hurled into the bin near the computer as the screen returned to Wade, his look telling all. He had seen worse, but it never got easier to watch it. "When did this happen?" Drakken asked as he tried to ignore the vomiting of Tim.

"About twenty minutes ago in Paris; this footage was live. I'm sorry boys; I shouldn't have shown it to you. I forget sometimes how much I really have seen. Anyway, I've been trying to get onto Kim all night. Can you get in touch with her?"

"No luck here. My guess is she has turned her phone off, meaning no disturbing. She's been with Ron since he came back so unless you want to annoy her now," Jim said as Wade smiled.

"No thanks. Well, when you do see her let me know."

The screen went blank as the trio resumed their work. Drakken sat down at the desk in the garage and marked out the coordinates, realigning them with the information he had received. Noting the movement length and pattern, he realigned the map accordingly. Something was missing though. Adding in the last attack on Paris, he used the formula to sort out the next target. The middle of the Pacific? No, too large. Then it happened. He gasped loudly as he saw what he had done. Words could not escape his mouth as he tried to get the attention of the twins.

"You know for a villain you are awfully silent when you work," Jim muttered, trying to ignore the arm pulling Drakken was doing.

Tim looked over half dazed but eyes flew open as he saw what Drakken was excited about. "Jim, you may want to see this."

Annoyed, he looked over and his eyes nearly jumped out of his head. Huddling around the table, their eyes could not believe what they saw. The pattern had been decoded and now they knew the next target and the movements. Having crossed most of the world for this, the trio hurriedly tried to get onto Wade and the remainder of the group. On the map, circled in red marker was a single town, remote but deadly enough to pose a threat against the Hand of Fate.

**LIB**

"Ron, what happened to you?"

The question hung in the air; all around the table, people who loved and missed Ron sat silently waiting to hear him speak. Monique, Kim, the twins, Wade, Drakken and even a slightly drugged up Shego sat around the table, their eyes focussing on one man. Rufus scurried about in the middle of the table, diving in between the nachos and the dip. Ron looked blankly at the food, his mind too far gone to care at the moment. A slight nudge from Kim awoke him from the daydreaming.

"Ron, what happened that night?" Kim asked again, this time trying to see his eyes.

"It's a long story Kim; I don't know where to start."

"Just try to remember what you know," Monique said softly as the twins leaned in, followed closely by Wade who was helping himself to a soda given to him by Ron's mother.

"Well…"

_Prom night…_

_Slamming the door behind himself, he breathed heavily as his father looked to the door, his eyes only readable from the glasses he wore. Before Ron could say anything, his father looked back down to his newspaper, a small smile itched into his face; _he must have had a good night then_, he thought as Ron raced upstairs. Removing the tie from his shirt, he ran into his bedroom, closing the door behind him carefully before he moved to the closest. He __had not told Kim about this yet, but he was not about to worry her on her night; it could wait till tomorrow._

_Walking into the closest, he pressed a small red button. Two small metal doors appeared on either side of the back wall of the closest, his safe haven and storage facility for all his mission gear. Opening up to reveal his mission gear, he grabbed and hastily put it on before he paused to look at the one item remaining. Mounted on a stand carved of fine wood, the Lotus blade shone a faint blue as his hand took it gently from the stand. Why sensei suggested he need the sword now was beyond him. Strapping it firmly to his back, he dashed out of the window, leaving Rufus asleep dreaming of Nachos._

_Knocking on the door lightly, Mrs. Stoppable opened and entered her son's room after getting no response. Finding no one, she shrugged her shoulders and left. She was sure someone had arrived home; maybe he went out to see Kim again. Stretching her back, she headed for her room and night cap before turning in._

_An hour later…_

_Striking across his chest, Ron stood still as the person collapsed to the ground, their breathing heavy and blood seeping from the wound he had cut across his arm earlier. Already wary and tired of the fight, Ron aimed the sword at the head of the assailant, watching closely as the person touched their watch. Expecting a weapon, Ron slashed the person across the chest, cutting through the light weight armour that covered the person._

_Falling to the ground beside them, the person looked up at Ron. Covered from head to toe in light weight metallic white armour that curved to their body, a piece of headgear covered the face. Unlike the armour, the face was mainly covered by a head cloak. Ron though was not nerved by the covering; he was nerved about the eyes. Red glowing eyes glared back at him, black darkness the only thing that surrounded the exposed eyes. The voice was not normal; it sounded almost robotic and unhuman. But the blood had diffused any doubt over the possibility of being a robot._

"_Damn it Stoppable, you can't win! Everyone will die, including your precious Kim Possible," they shouted, the voice harsh to Ron's ears._

"_No matter what you plan to do, Kim will foil you each and every time; that is, if you manage to leave this area alive tonight," he replied as he held the sword steadily, aimed at their head._

"_That may be true; but my leaving here will only hinge on whether I was right about you or not."_

_Ron paused. "Who are you, really?"_

"_Like I said before, my name is the Hand of Fate. I have come to eradicate all who seek to hurt, and those who will seek to stop me from doing so. I am not here on a mercy mission. People will die for their crimes and there will be nothing you can do to stop me Ron Stoppable."_

"_Not unless I cut your head from your neck. Estimate your chance of survival then," he said as he raised it above his head._

"_You won't, because you need me alive."_

_Ron stopped, this time eyeing the stranger cautiously. "On my watch and already activated is the weaponry I have planted around the town, which is designed for maximum effect. Once pressed, this weaponry will destroy the town, leaving nothing but a smouldering pile of ruins in its wake," they said slowly, taking their time to breathe in deeply as the wound seared pain through their body._

"_The choice is simple Stoppable; kill me now and you will avert an impending doom upon the world. You will leave here alive and will enjoy your life. However, the town you love, and everyone inside it will perish, their mortal cries and screams of pain an everlasting reminder of me. Leave town now and you may survive. I will not try to stop you from leaving and I will not harm the people in this town once you leave here. However, you must never return to Middleton Ron Stoppable; should you return, this battle will recommence, and this time there will be no deal made; I will hunt you down, killing everyone who stands in my way."_

_Ron looked at the stranger in disbelief; no one could have put any form of destruction bombs or weaponry into the town or any kind of explosive without them knowing about it. How this one person could have planted and carried out such a difficult and dangerous task was beyond him. But he could not take that chance; Kim would not stand a chance even in this position._

"_You must choose Ron Stoppable."_

_It could be a trick and it could be a real threat. He could not risk losing anyone, least not Kim or Rufus or his parents. The threat could be a fake, a diversion in their fight. Ron dropped the sword as he agreed._

"_You are wise Stoppable; pray that we never meet again," the stranger said as they powered down the watch._

_Ron walked past them, his head bowed as the sword glided behind him gently. "If I ever see your face, then mark my words; this face will be the final face you shall ever see before you meet your maker. Pray I never see your face Hand of Fate," he whispered as he left._

_Months later…_

"_The flow of energy from your body is astounding; I have never seen anything like this before. Perhaps if we were able to harness this power, you could become the ultimate fighting weapon," the doctor shrieked happily._

_Ron was dizzy; the last few tests had been fine, but the last few weeks had been the worst. Why he had gone to Sensei in the first place was beyond him. He had only gone because it felt like he had to go there. Sensei would know what to do; and so far, Ron begrudgingly knew that this choice was the right one. Sitting on the chair in the small hut, the doctor mixed chemicals together, fizzing and bubbling erupting from one flask as Ron looked to his Sensei. Meditating near the door, Ron sighed._

"_Doubt can be a most dangerous position for one with destiny," he said as Ron looked up._

"_Not another proverb. Are you sure about this guy? He seems a bit loopy," Ron replied as the doctor continued mixing away happily._

"_Our journey does not end here Ron Stoppable; this man is a stepping stone towards that path. You must undertake this Ron-san; your power is making you an easy target."_

"_But isn't suppressing it a danger ouch!" he cried out as the doctor stuck a needle into his arm and extract his blood._

"_Perhaps, but it is a chance we must take; the sword can not fall into the wrong hands. And as for your current predicament, even you will understand the importance for a change. Keeping the sword away from you will be hard, but must be done if Kim Possible is to remain safe."_

"_But this…won't this be dangerous Sensei?" he asked nervously as the doctor smiled and walked over with the needle._

"_Perhaps…only time shall tell," he smiled, the needle injecting him with the serum as the world around Ron faded to darkness…_

Ron watched as the people around the table slowly regained their thoughts, Wade the first to drop his blank stare. "So you're telling me that the Hand of Fate was the one who did this?"

Ron nodded. "And you didn't care to mention this to me when you were Hayden?" Wade asked as the remainder of the group looked towards him once more.

"That was what I needed to ask you about; Drakken, when you created that modulator thingy, what exactly did you intend it to do? That doctor I told you about used something similar to what you made, except I didn't resort to blowing up the world with Nachos."

Drakken looked at him confused. "That device was only intended for limited range use; the idea was to convert people to my cause instead of having to pay them the bills I owed. What you are talking about though is a complete memory wipe transformation. When you were Hayden, did you remember anything about us?"

Ron shook his head. "The last thing I really remember was the needle in my arm and then fading to darkness. And then when Hayden was touching the sword, something stirred in me to wake up. Once he disappeared from my mind, I woke up to find Kim looking over me."

Wade smiled. "I think I understand what happened now. The drug that doctor gave you was a suppressor; when he was talking about the energy in your body as being unbelievable, your Sensei must have decided to hide it away, using the drug. Now it all makes sense. That drug Hayden was always injecting himself with was that precise chemical combination. No wonder he hated the pain; that was the energy trying to realign itself in the body and escape.

Kim what you saw was not an accident; the transformation was brought about through Ron finally touching the Lotus blade again. The result was this transformation and returning of Ron to reality, while Hayden became a suppressed alter-ego of Ron. It all makes sense," slamming his fist into the table happily.

The rest stared at him with their jaws wide open. Wade looked around nervously. "What? No one else got it?"

"Boy, you make about as much sense as that twerp at Banana Club who asked me out the other day," Monique said, sending Kim into hysterics. The rest of the group smiled except for Shego, who looked at Ron oddly.

"So, if the sword awoke Ron, where is it now Princess?"

Thrown into silence, the group looked to Kim. "Beats me; I was more focussed on getting Ron home than babysitting the sword," she shrugged.

As Wade was about to round on Kim for missing a crucial piece of weaponry, Drakken nodded. "Understandable. Ron, try summoning the sword to you."

Tim and Jim looked at him as though he was mad. Feeling like the centre of attention he sighed. "For a bunch of heroes, you seem to know an awful lot about nothing. Villain conventions for me all those years ago were mainly spent looking for new henchmen and also new brilliant weaponry, capable of taking over the entire world!" he yelled triumphantly.

"Anyway, to cut a long story short, I met a monkey who told me all about the sword he was trying to find; a Lotus blade to be precise. Delicately tuned to the person they choose, they can vanish the instant one tries to find it, except for the chosen one. They can be called upon through the chosen one seeking it once again. If you would try to focus Ron, call upon it."

Shrugging, he closed his eyes as the remainder of the room went into silence. Frowning, he tried to reach out for it, tried to call its name but could not hear or see anything except for the nacho creations he had designed. Tensing, he focussed on the sword. Minutes passed as the group watched and waited. Jim and Tim flicked nachos at each other as Wade kept drinking the soda. Finally, he opened his eyes.

"Sorry guys; I really thought I had-"

A flash of blue light erupted above the table as they all ducked for cover. Streaks of lightning burnt holes into the walls as a gust of wind roared through the room, throwing food and the chairs back as the group huddled together. Light in the room turned to darkness; Kim dived for Ron, grabbing him tightly as Monique had latched herself onto the closest person near her. Jim and Tim watched with bug eyed wonder, smiling and grinning; they so had to make one of these. Trying to call out, their voices were drowned out as flash of bright light seared the room, forcing them to shield their eyes. Slowly, the wind eased to a halt as the normal light returned to the room. Cautiously, people peeked up to see what had happened.

"Well, I guess that monkey was right after all," Drakken muttered as Ron looked up, holding Kim tightly.

On the table lay a beautifully crafted, delicate looking sword, emitting a familiar soft blue hue. As the wind left the room, they stirred from the cover; Shego was shielded by a bemused Drakken; Jim and Tim were grinning evilly as they set about creating their own wind machine; Ron was holding Kim tightly as they stood up and assessed the damage. In the back corner however, Monique kept her eyes firmly shut. As Ron looked over he grinned, followed shortly by Kim who giggled. Holding onto Wade tightly, Monique had failed to realise she was crushing his body.

"Hey Monique, you ok there?" smirked Kim.

Opening her eyes, Monique's face became pale, and then flushed red with embarrassment. Wade's wasn't much better. Already in red mode, he shyly tried to help her off him. Letting go tentatively, Monique rushed to the table and sat down, keeping her attention firmly planted on the sword in front of them. As the remaining group members joined her, Mrs. Stoppable walked in, her usual smile still in place as she served them drinks. Shocked, the group watched as she left, amazed at her ability to not even register that something paranormal had just taken place in her own dining room.

Ron was the first to speak. "Well, at least we know where the sword is," he mumbled, still shocked his mother had not noticed anything.

"Exactly; I suggest it be placed securely in your room for the time being Ron. I'm sorry to change the mood here guys, but there is something far more pressing that needs attention. A few hours ago, an attack was made on Paris in France; there are reports streaming in from around the globe. So far they have been able to confirm that around six thousand people are dead, with many more in grave need of medical attention," Wade spoke as Kim and Ron looked at him.

"From what we do know, our newly crowned evil mastermind was behind this attack; the Hand of Fate has made this a habit, destroying places where they have killed a villain. This one appears to be the first non-provoked attack, meaning that a major known villain was not involved," Drakken said as Wade typed up on the laptop next to him.

"Using the attack patterns and a mathematical formula that would stunt even the mind of Stoppable," Drakken muttered as Ron glared at him, "I, with the aid of Jim and Tim, have discovered the next target of the villain."

Pressing a button, the screen shot forth a 3D image of the globe, Rufus turning the lights off as Kim searched hurriedly. Typing away, Wade adjusted the course path of the villain, noting the extent and developing path of destruction they were leaving in their wake. Finally typing in the final numbers, the map zoomed in to a country, then a state, before completing the final magnification of the target. Monique gasped, followed quickly by Rufus who watched in horror as the name of the town came into view; Middleton.

"Is this accurate?" Ron asked, Kim turning to him concerned.

"Completely; they have an established pattern, and having murdered," Wade fell silent as Ron looked at him, his eyes burning with rage. "Well…this is an accurate detailed design of what the next path of destruction could be. Having listened to the story you told us tonight, it would seem Drakken's hypothesis is confirmed."

The group remained silent as the image powered down, leaving Rufus to switch back to normal lighting. "When can I find this monster?"

No one could mistake the venom and malice in Ron's voice, his breathing deepening as his hands shook slightly. Monique had moved away from him, watching intently for any sign of anger; Shego tried to power up her arms a bit, should the boy try to attack her or Drakken; Jim and Tim stopped their planning and turned to him, worried he would explode any minute. Touching his arm lightly, Ron spun his head around to see Kim stroking his arm. Slowly, he relaxed his grip.

"Not in the foreseeable future Ron. For now though, you need to regain some function in life around you. The remainder of you guys can leave now if you like; the next few hours won't be nice as I explain to Ron what he has to do," Wade calmly spoke as Monique, the twins and Drakken left, accompanying a still drugged Shego, who even nodded in respect to Ron as she left.

"What do you mean by explaining to me what I need to do?" asked a confused and puzzled Ron.

"Ron, aren't you forgetting something?" Kim asked.

"Not that I can remember Kim, why?" Ron asked as his face went blank. Churning over in his mind the simple fact of it being Sunday, he began gasping like a fish, his head shaking as Rufus gasped at Ron.

"No…no, not school! Barkin is going to kill me!"

**LIB**

**Author's note: This one took a while, but I hope it meets expectations. I am aiming to increase the chapter lengths, but I will try to continue posting as ****soon**** as possible. As always, any reviews are greatly welcomed; if anyone could point out anything I may have missed so far that would help, as I do forget some important details at times. ****Until next time, have fun!**


	8. Chapter VII: The Night

**Love is Blindness**

A Kim Possible FanFic

**Disclaimer**: I do not own and make no attempt to profit from the characters or stories of Walt Disney. Kim Possible is owned by Walt Disney.

**Chapter VII: The Night**

Screeching to a halt besides Ron, Kim panted heavily before running ahead, Ron keeping up by her side. Gun shots grew closer. Zipping along the tree lines and past the old run down village, she dived for cover, catching Ron neatly as light shone upon them. No longer trying to escape, they sat still, Kim struggling to quieten her hearts thunderous beating. Pale, cold and appearing to be running out of blood, Ron was hastily trying to stem the bleeding from his arm and leg, the shot clean but painful regardless.

Kim could not believe it; it was only a year and this place was thrown into disarray. Whoever was behind the attack must have been working with him. Steeling her nerves, she helped apply pressure to the wound. Crunching footsteps; loud shouts; heavy gunfire. Kim knew they were only inches away from finding them. They had been running, but now she didn't want to anymore. They were going to face the end, and holding Ron closely, she would face it with him. A growing light made her breath catch itself in her lungs; growing fast, she gripped him tightly. _Any second now…_

**LIB**

_One month ago in Middleton…_

Drakken threw the map across the room with disgust, focussing instead on his typing of a possible tracking of this Hand of Fate. For a villain, even Drakken found the name to be nothing more than laughable; the name had to be one of the worst he had ever heard. However, after witnessing the cruelty and coldness this killer delivered with pinpoint accuracy and efficiency, he was willing to change his view on the name. Something about this person worried him more than others; perhaps it was the threat of possible death that concerned him.

Wade joined him, continuing his work with such vigour it made Drakken curious as to the motivation this young man displayed. Leaving his station, he walked over to the coffee machine and waited for it to flash its completion. Having been talked into this by Wade, Drakken was now not regretting his decision to join him. Set up in one of Wade's spacious research facilities, this room was small without being claustrophobic, making it ideal for his work. Light nicely, with a touch of red on the walls, this was Wade's private research room in Middleton, and one of the most advanced in the entire world.

Although of this coffee machine Drakken would not speak too highly of it. It could sense when someone wanted a coffee, but it often took its time to create the perfect coffee. Ticking from the clock above the machine drilled into his mind. Tick, tick, tick…looking over his shoulder, the young man continued his work.

"Wade, what are you doing over there?" he queried.

"The same as you; trying to solve the riddle of this villain," he retorted, his face unmoving from the screen.

Blinking at him, Drakken removed the cup and walked towards Wade. Sipping it, he inwardly smiled; damn machine was always perfect. Coming to a standstill beside him, Drakken watched intently. Wade's fingers moved like a chessboard put into a blender; each move was carefully planned and co-ordinated while moving with such speed Drakken was sure the boy would pull a muscle in his arm. Feeling the stare, Wade paused and turned to Drakken.

"Is there something I can help you with Drew?" he asked, causing Drakken to cringe at the mention of his name.

"Why are you so motivated today? I understand why you're trying to locate the villain, but something else seems to be bothering you."

Wade returned to his work. "I don't know what you mean," he muttered.

"But as I see it, you do Wade. Does it have something to do with last night?"

Drakken grinned and walked towards his station, the shock on Wade's face priceless. Resuming his work, his typing increased, feeling slightly more interested and excited about his work. As far as he knew, nothing had happened last night to the young man, so it was of little concern to him. Clicking onto the program, he crossed his fingers as the launch began to start. It had only taken him a few hours, but this little program could make life so much easier for himself and the others if it worked. Seventy-three percent loaded. Wade continued his typing, glancing towards Drakken every so often. Eighty-nine percent loaded. Holding his breath, he grinned as the last of the bar filled.

A small red icon came onto the screen and his grin dropped radically. Cursing it, Drakken left his post and walked away. One word on the screen made Wade grin as he looked over.

Error.

**LIB**

Reading his scanner, Ron gritted his teeth and threw it onto his bed. It was seven-thirty already, but he didn't want to get up. Already slightly disturbed by this latest piece of news, being reminded that school was dawning upon him again was not helping his mood. Barkin would have his skin for this he knew it. But that attack…Yamanouchi was becoming just like his sensei had predicted. He wanted to find out more, but he had sworn not to interfere…just yet. But this latest attack worried him. They knew he was back, but they had not found him.

Pulling his shirt on, Rufus squeaked from beneath the covers and rubbed his stomach, telling Ron to grab some food. Ron grinned and held out his hand, his little buddy jumping onto his hand and racing up his arm as he headed downstairs. It was decimation; not one ninja had survived the attack and he could guess who had done it. But for now he would let the others take care of it; he was hungry and to be honest he was tired of fighting this all the time. Bueno Nacho was calling his name.

**LIB**

Cracking fingers. Water taps. Chalk boards cleaned and polished; this was Middleton High. And it was the last place Ron wanted to be at this very point. Having managed to avoid Barkin all morning, he was still on edge, despite Kim's insistence that perhaps Barkin had not noticed his return yet. At least he was happy to be rid of Erik from the school; the last time he was here for schooling, he was left in the cold. But now, he was alright with it again. Although his dress sense had changed slightly, finding that the Ron trademark Kim had called it was a little too obvious if he wanted to avoid detection by Barkin.

Having taken the advice of Kim and Monique, he had gone shopping with the two of them and brought clothing he felt was more suitable to his new found style. Although some of the clothing would be more suitable for private use. Picking out his books for the first lesson, he was secretly glad no one had stopped and yelled at him; he had caught up with some of the people already, and most were amazed to see him back again. Many had bought the story Bonnie had told them and were just as surprised as she was to see him walk into the hall for the first time in a long time.

"Ron you awake?"

Shaking his head, he turned to Kim. "Yeah I am K.P."

"That's the third time you've done this today. You sure you're okay?" she asked, that familiar look of worry creeping over her face again.

He nodded quickly. Grabbing their gear, the duo set off towards their first class; cooking. Ron was already looking forward to the prospect of amazing the world with his culinary and cooking expertise. The former teacher Mr. High had left for unmentioned reasons, but the school had been led to believe a student-teacher affair was the culprit. But that was only mere speculation; there was minimal evidence to support that hypothesis. So as they placed their respective gear down at their desks, Ron and Kim looked around, confused like everyone else at the apparent absence of their new teacher.

"No sign of the teacher yet?" Ron asked to a slightly disgruntled Monique.

"Nothing yet; I hope it stays that way," she scowled.

Shifting in his seat, Ron looked to Kim who shrugged. _Probably a girl thing_, he thought.

"So why are you spacing out Ron?" Kim asked softly, trying to avoid the attention of her fellow classmates.

"Beats me Kim; just feeling nostalgic towards the school at the moment," he said, hearing the door to the room close softly behind him. However, he failed to hear the advancing footsteps towards him.

"So glad you would care to join us STOPPABLE!" he blared into Ron's ear, causing him to fall off his seat. The class broke into laughter as he gathered himself together and got onto his seat again. Standing at the front of the room, all laughter stopped as Mr. Barkin looked out over the class of students, almost daring them to speak and risk a detention.

"As many of you are by now undoubtedly aware, Ron Stoppable has returned to our school. Although he may have done something else on the outside, this example further confirms what I have been trying to drill into your heads since day one; excelling here is the first step to a better life, not leaving and establishing nothing outside on your own. Remember the golden rule here."

"All for one, and one future for all," the class replied bored.

"Exactly; now onto more important matters at hand…"

Barkin began to discuss the properties for a proper shortbread, causing Ron to become sleepy. Having already amazed Kim's family last night with dinner, he was not in the mood to learn the creation of shortbread when he had probably designed half of the possible creations using it. A small nudge from Kim and he looked to the front of the room. Although he could see the red colour begin to grow in Kim's face, he couldn't figure out why. Slowly, his eyes adjusted as the class clapped politely to the new visitor. Standing roughly at Barkin's height, a woman with dark hair and green emerald eyes that would give Kim a run for her money stood at the front of the class, smiling gently towards the class, but focussing on two people in particular. If not for the pale green skin, Ron could have been fooled, but then again surgery would be quite painful.

"Class today I would like you to treat this wonderful lady with complete respect and listen to her carefully. When you are ready Miss Go, you may begin."

**LIB**

Wade typed furiously, his eyes scanning each screen intently. The two of them had been at this for hours, and for all that time they still had nothing to show for it, except for the constant errors Drakken kept receiving from his failed device. Grinning, he knew why it could be failing, but he would rather let the doctor sort that one out. Instead, he composed himself to focus on the task at hand and achieve the impossible as he always did. So far there was nothing, but he always enjoyed a good challenge.

But after three hours straight at the desk, he was feeling slightly nauseas from all his work; screen after screen made it harder for him to comprehend what he was meant to be doing to begin with. Sighing, he leant back, stopping his typing for the first time in hours. Drakken was asleep at his desk, muttering about something evil leaving Wade alone to his thoughts.

There had to be a way to combat the use of this machine, whatever it may be, but somehow he could be wrong. The code he was finding was not standard; it was almost as if it had been designed not for normal programming use, but as if it was brought into existence by something else. Just what was the next question? He typed away quickly again, searching this time for the attack Ron had mentioned to him this morning. Mystical powers aside, Ron did seem to be more informed about what was happening than anyone else was.

_Maybe Hayden had helped him after all,_ Wade pondered as an enlarged image came up onto his screen, the scene before him not as devastating as one might fear. Ninjas, undoubtedly ones Ron was familiar with, lay on the ground, their unconscious forms spread out amongst the unfortunate victims who had not been so lucky. It was a bloodbath; arms were at odd angles and some were so badly mangled, he wondered whether there was any real chance of identifying them. Throwing caution to the wind, he clicked further in and frowned.

Something was wrong about it; people were there and their parts together, but some appeared shinier than others. Magnifying, his eyes scanned over what appeared to be an arm connected with wires. No one he knew was using the latest technology yet; it was months away from being available to people on the market. So why was a robotic arm so close to the scene? Wade sat back; the people he knew were mainly secret service or mercenaries, and none of them would be using their arm in combat without his knowing about it. Having designed it himself, he was not about to let it become readily available for all.

Looking over to Drakken, he saw him stir and walk over to Wade, rubbing his eyes and yawning as he did so. "How goes the search?" he asked, coming to a standstill beside him.

"Nowhere for now; you would think there should be a more subtle and clever way of finding this person. So far I've only meet dead ends. Take a look at this," he said, pointing at the mangled shiny arm on the screen.

Drakken lazily looked in the general direction and frowned, joining Wade in his puzzlement. Wade magnified and minimised the image, trying to get a better angle on the arm. As he scanned around, more came into the frame, two of them situated near a ninja, whose body now resembled a human punching bag. Drakken became slightly paler than before, but looked at the arms and shook his head.

"She always did have a problem with the fibre cabling design," he muttered.

"Are you saying this is android material?" Wade asked, hoping he was wrong.

"Undoubtedly; the trademark is all over the arm wiring system. However, why would she send out androids to Middleton?"

"He knows," Wade blabbered before he could stop himself.

"Who knows?"

"Him."

Drakken gulped and quickly grabbed his coffee. "Are you trying to tell me that the Hand of Fate knows about Stoppable?"

"It wouldn't be too hard to know; but if my guess is correct, there is someone else now working for him. Get Shego on the line Drakken," he replied, typing away madly on the computer.

Drakken raced to his desk as Wade magnified the image once more. It was undeniable proof that she was involved, but with Kim in her condition, she wouldn't be able to handle it. Shego would have to suffice for now, until Ron found out. Handing the device to Wade, Drakken stood back as Wade waited for Shego to pick up.

"Hello Shego, it's Wade; we need to talk now."

**LIB**

Although they were still meant to be in class, the three found themselves out back in the school grounds, watching closely for any sign of movement which could betray their current whereabouts. Leaning against the tree, Shego lit up one finger, keeping it below the cigarette waiting for it to light, her eyes closed waiting for the inevitable questions. Kim had her arms folded; watching her closely while Ron lay down on the ground, deciding now was as good a time as any to catch up on sleep. Rufus joined him, leaving Kim to glare at her rival.

"So tell me Shego, how long are you planning to stay here and keep up this charade? I don't think teaching is your strongest area," Kim smirked. For ten minutes they had been taking shots at each other, which was why Ron was currently trying to sleep instead.

"As long as it takes Princess; regardless of what you may think, I can teach. And besides, Dr. D suggested this persona, not me. I'd rather be sleeping in or zapping some helpless person anyway," she muttered, breathing out the poison's deadly toxins.

"But why come here Shego; there are plenty of areas of possible interest to this new villain, so why should you be here? We can protect ourselves just fine without your help," Kim spat.

Shego opened one eye and shot a plasma blast at Kim's shoulder. The shot ripped off part of her shirt, leaving a slightly burnt area. Feeling the searing burn, Kim clasped her arm. "That would be why Princess."

Clenching her teeth, Kim made to move on Shego but stopped as a firm arm held her around the waist, stopping her from moving. Ron held her close, relaxing his grip on her when she promised not to kill her. Shego put out the fag and flexed her body.

"Although I would rather not do this Kimmie, I was instructed by Drakken to teach you and bring you back up to speed with the world around you. Before you argue, just remember that small burn on your shoulder," she smiled.

"I can defend myself just fine Shego," she whispered.

"No you can't princess. For once in your life, just admit it; you are outmatched here. Although I hate this, Wade insisted I should teach you my style of fighting. And with Drakken still paying me, I don't have any choice."

Kim looked down and sighed, knowing that if Wade thought she needed this, there was a good chance she was out of sorts with her fighting. Holding out her hand, Kim looked Shego in the eyes, Ron behind her standing still as Rufus clambered back into his pocket.

"Ok, a truce for now then," she said, causing Shego to give a small smile.

"Deal Princess," she replied, taking her hand and shaking it firmly.

Letting go, Kim left and headed for her next class, leaving Ron and Shego alone under the tree. "Aren't you going to follow her Stoppable?"

"Not my class. Besides, there is something I need to ask you," he said, his voice a bare whisper.

"Don't get too chummy on me; I'm on a truce, not a peace treaty."

"You won't need to be either. What do you know about an attack on the outskirts of Middleton?"

"You mean the ninjas don't you?" she smiled, Ron nodding in agreement.

"I am only telling you what I know from Wade. Besides with prissy Princess the way she is, you will have to do for now." A stinging slap from Ron across her cheek stunned her.

"Be careful what you say Shego; the Ron man has the skills, even if KP doesn't."

Shego grinned. "So what did Wade tell you?" he asked.

"A fair bit; he said from his extensive searching that the attack was an ambush, designed to catch anyone who entered the town last night off guard. From the scans he ran, it appeared that one of the ninjas was captured by this Hand of Fate person and…interrogated. From what Wade gathered, this person didn't just beat them to within an inch of their life, they also had help. Two android arms were found near the ninja, each one a replica of a certain friend of ours."

Ron looked away, his breathing becoming steadily faster. "Are you telling me Electronique is still at large?"

**LIB**

Clasping her books tightly, Kim dashed through the halls to her next class. Her chat with Shego had gone longer than she thought, leaving her to avoid people moving to their own classes. Having Ron back was great; no longer confining herself to areas without any possible contact, she was relishing the chance to be a part of civilisation again. Except now she would have to confront people she was glad to be avoiding…

Crashing to the floor, her arms broke her fall in time. The person opposite her though was not so fortunate, instead falling onto their side, cursing Kim for the accident. Picking herself up, her eyes locked on to the target, hatred surging through her body uncontrollably.

"You are such a klutz Kim; it's a good thing you're not on the team anymore," Bonnie snidely whispered.

"Gee Bon-Bon, it looked like you walked into me first; how does it feel to know they will want me back, even with you running it?"

Bonnie began to glow red. "Really Kim, he's only been back for one day and already you act like you run the joint again. Honestly it's pathetic; have some respect for the food chain. Maybe one day you could actually reach the top."

"Then maybe one day a guy could like you for you, although I doubt that," she said, Bonnie's face registering shock as people around them stopped.

"At least I don't go around stealing another girl's property; I have standards to keep, unlike Miss Perfect. Have a look in the mirror someday Kim; maybe you could save us all the trouble and end it again," she spat, walking off leaving Kim stunned. Glares and staring from people around her made her wish she had stayed hidden. Rushing footsteps from behind her was ended with a hand placed onto her shoulder. Turning around, Ron smiled brightly.

"Why aren't you at class yet?" he asked, puffing heavily.

"I traded pleasantries with Bonnie," gesturing over her shoulder.

"What about? I thought you two would have made up by now."

"I'll tell you later," she whispered, grabbing his hand and walking him to their next class. A small whirring of machine noises didn't register in her hearing as they entered the class, being greeted calmly by their teacher before taking their places.

Sitting opposite to Ron, she sighed and opened her books. Bonnie was upset still over that? Even he had moved on, and probably for the best. Why that girl always had to try and make life hard for her, Kim would never know. But finding a way to track down this Hand of Fate person first would have to be her priority; she owed it to Ron at the very least. And besides, she was the teen hero regardless of what had happened to her. Scratching the itch on her arm, Kim thought she saw a glint of silver in the corner of her eye. Looking hastily to the source, she saw nothing but clear blue sky.

Ron watched her cautiously, looking for any sign of what she was thinking. He was not a fool; his mother and Kim's mother had talked to him once Kim went to bed the night before. He was still beating himself up about it. He should have told her and reassured her everything would be ok, but he had been only thinking of protecting everyone from an invisible threat. Feeling slightly worried about her, he was planning to take her away from this. She needed to rest before anything else happened.

**LIB**

"Ron, please tell me why we are here of all places again?

Ron shrugged; having managed to avoid answering for ten minutes so far, he wasn't about to break his silence. Surrounded by piles of Nachos and burritos, Ron continued to consume all of it front of him, helped along by Rufus and begrudgingly by Kim. Having agreed to allow Ron to take them somewhere nice to unwind, she had been expecting something a little less food orientated. Watching him eat though, a flicker of a smile crossed her lips; it was the same old Ron.

Swallowing the last of the food down, Ron exhaled happily, followed closely by Rufus who laid himself in one of the nacho tubs, licking his lips affectionately towards the cheesy remains of the packet. Kim wiped her mouth cautiously, slightly paranoid at the idea of someone finding her here. Ron noticed and sat forward, removing the stains of the food from his mouth.

"Kim," he said softly.

Leaning on her elbows, Kim looked at him; she was tired. The black bags under her eyes confirmed to Ron all that he needed to know.

"How are you?"

"I'm tired Ron," she yawned, wiping away imaginary sleep from her eyes.

"Ok, well, it just seems like you're hiding something from me K.P. Not that there's a problem with that," he replied hastily, "but it would be easier to help you if I knew what was wrong with you."

"There is nothing wrong with me Ron."

"Then why is Shego getting on your nerves?"

Kim glared at him, causing him to drop the conversation. It was no surprise Ron would pick up on that fact; if he could then probably everyone else could too. Her rivalry with Shego was…complicated. How complex though was beyond Kim; your rival trying to kill you every time you fought them didn't seem too complex, but beneath that surface was something more to it. An almost mutual understanding and respect had formed; each blow was a chance to surpass the other, gaining more ground in their fight to be better than the other.

Ron watched her carefully and sighed; if he could ever read minds, he would be able to help Kim more than he ever could as himself. But that was a fools dream. When she was ready she would tell him; it was the only thought he held onto whenever Kim was like this. Perhaps she would one day explain it to him, but for now, the female mind was his greatest interest and frustration. Bueno Nacho was fairly empty, so it was no surprise when Ron watched Shego walk in, still dressed as a teacher and her hair tied back. No one else payed her any attention as she walked up to the counter and ordered casually, except for Kim to shot up to attention and narrowed her eyes; _she's so beautiful when she's angry,_ Ron grinned.

Walking towards them with her tray, Shego casually sat down next to Ron and started to eat. Kim watched her closely. "So princess," she mumbled between mouth full's, "how's the shoulder?"

Kim continued to glare at her, causing Rufus to scurry into Ron's pocket. "Just fine Shego; never better."

"That's good; you're going to need it for the training."

"What training?" she frowned.

"Dr. D's orders Kimmie; I have to train you and it starts this afternoon," wiping her mouth carefully.

"If you think I'm going to start taking orders from Drakken-"

"Kim just do it."

Kim looked to Ron, whose face was a mixture of worry and concern. "Ron, you seriously can't be buying this."

"I am Kim; look at your shoulder. That was a small fry from Shego. If we have to face this Hand of Fate and you're not at a hundred and ten percent, we will die."

"You're over exaggerating."

"Not quite," Ron replied as Shego leaned back, the usual smug and arrogant smile wiped from her face.

"What don't I know?"

"Last night another group of Yamanouchi Ninjas descended on Middleton; however, they didn't get very far. We suspect the Hand of Fate ambushed them, along with another familiar friend. No one survived. Those were some of the schools most elite; they were dead within seconds. Wade has been trying to identify the bodies with not much luck."

"Shego is giving you the chance to sharpen your skills. Take it Kim," he said softly.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Home; mum needs help with the house cleaning and I promised I would help her after school. We need to clean up before…" Ron excused himself and headed for the doors, Rufus sticking out of his pocket, trying to pat his friend. Kim and Shego looked at each other, hearing the door close before they said anything.

"What do you say Princess; ready to give this superhero thing another whirl?"

Kim looked down and held her breath; counting to ten, she looked up and gave her answer; Shego grinned.

**LIB**

Ron removed the litter from the couch and dumped it into the bag, wishing desperately for Kim to come over. Wade would be over soon, but even that felt like days away. He had promised his mother he would return home and help clean up before the funeral, but even now as he placed the last of last night's chip packets into the bag he couldn't feel it. It was never the same now; the lounge room was filled with his touch. The television shelf, covered in photos of the family were still standing proud, unaware of the one whom had left their presence forever. Ron slumped onto the couch and spaced out.

Jittering away, Rufus scurried down the stairs and into the lounge room, carrying what was unmistakably another burrito. How he had gotten it home without Ron knowing was beyond him, but he didn't care at the moment. Jumping onto his lap, Rufus began to eat, offering it to Ron who shook his head. Blankly, he looked ahead to the last photo they had taken as a family; a week before the formal he had been convinced to take this photo with his parents.

"I can't believe he's gone Rufus," he whispered, his voice choking up once again.

"Me neither," he jittered back, patting his friend on the arm carefully.

Each time he saw the photo he kept going back and each memory was becoming more and more painful. Rising from the couch, he walked over to the photos and grabbed them, placing them into another bag. Carefully, he placed the frames in and solemnly walked upstairs with the bag. He needed to think clearly and the only way was to do this. The attic was still quite large and free of clutter. Rufus watched as his buddy pulled the latch releasing the ladder and climbed up it, remaining up there for a while before returning.

Tomorrow would be the last time; tomorrow was his final farewell to his father. And it tore him up inside to acknowledge it.

"Come on Rufus; my bedroom needs some work."

Rufus nodded and followed after Ron.

**LIB**

"Ok Princess, let's begin," Shego smiled as Kim continued to look around carefully. Having convinced Barkin to allow them the use of the gymnasium for the afternoons, Shego was already quite pleased with the facility. Sure it smelt of gym socks and sweat, but she was willing to ignore that for the sake of advancement.

"First test before we begin the real stuff Princess; spar time."

Kim shrugged and moved into her fighting stance. Shego now dressed in her normal green and black lit up her hands and advanced. Blocking the first kick to her right, Kim dodged the swing from Shego, sprawling away onto the ground quickly. Like dangling a mouse in front of a cat, Shego leapt, aiming her next hit at the cheerleaders head. Kim froze; for some reason, she would not move. Noticing the blank look, Shego landed with her fist inches from Kim's nose. Looking at her oddly, Shego stood up and walked away.

"Princess even though this is only for show, what are you doing?"

Kim shook her head and stood up. "I'm fine; let's go again," her voice shaky and uncertain in Shego's ear.

Charging at her again, Shego raised her fist and swung; expecting Kim to duck, she instead found herself slamming her fist into Kim's stomach, the same vacant look evident on her face. Something odd was definitely going on. Toppling over and over, Kim came to a rest near the wall. The aching began to flood her system, causing her to feel alone again. Ron was gone; her world was going to end again.

Kneeling beside her, Shego moved some of her hair away from her face; tears were already flowing. "I can't keep doing this Princess; there is something holding you back."

Kim kept looking past Shego. Sighing, Shego sat down, rubbing away the dirt from her clothing.

"Kim, why won't you fight?"

Kim didn't move a muscle. Her whole system was in shut down; Ron hadn't really come back had he? "_He wouldn't come back for you Kim; no one would come back for you,"_ a small figure of wispy smoke spoke in her mind, its form slowly taking shape.

"He will come back," she whispered, Shego looking over slowly.

"What was that Princess?"

"_No he won't; look at __you__. You're nothing more than a former shadow of yourself. No one will even look at you now. Pretty? Ron couldn't love you for your looks; __you're__ hideous. If I was you I'd just curl up and die now,"_ it replied, starting to form a more solid outline of a girl.

"Leave me alone," Kim muttered, causing Shego to sit her up.

"_I can't Kim; I am apart of you now. There is nothing you can hide, nothing you can see without me knowing about it. Face it Kim; I am more than you could ever hope to be," _the form beginning to form a resemblance of Bonnie.

"You're not a part of me," she replied weakly.

Shego looked at her, her concern growing quickly. "Kim who are you talking to?"

Like an electric shock, Kim looked around, her face still vacant but more aware of the world around her. "She won't leave me alone."

"Who won't leave you alone? What are you talking?"

"That girl; I did something to her and now she won't leave me alone."

"Kim, you do realise where you are right?" Shego asked. Kim looked around, her face afraid and terrified.

"I'm not at home," she responded.

Shego pulled out a needle from her ankle pouch and stuck it into Kim's arm. Kim tried to fight back, but Shego knew there was no effort left in her body. Slowly, Kim closed her eyes, muttering away about the girl. Slumping to one side, Shego pulled out the phone and dialled for Drakken. Whatever was wrong with Kim was not pleasant. She had seen people go mad from war, but Kim had not been to war. Perhaps there was something more sinister going on here; had something happened to her recently?

"_Doctor Drakken here, genius and world dominator extraordinaire-"_

"Cut the talk Drakken; is Wade around?"

"_Oh it's you Shego. Well yes, just hang on for a minute."_

Shego waited as Kim's breathing eased. _"Wade here."_

"Princess…Kim is out cold with a drug I gave her at the school's gymnasium. She started muttering about something or someone in her head," Shego said casually, replacing the needle into her pouch.

"In her head? Like mad people do?"

"Yes, didn't I just say that?"

"Well she did try to…well…"

"Spill it genius boy; I need to get her out of here shortly."

"Shego, she tried to kill herself; if it wasn't for the dosage being wrong, she would have succeeded," Wade spoke hurriedly.

Shego froze and looked over her. That did explain her hair and face being paler than normal. And the lack of fighting in her; knowing her rival, she would not have bothered with seeing a councillor if she could have helped it. Perhaps she still needed to. Shego sighed and hung up the phone, picking the unconscious girl up carefully before walking out the gym doors and to the car park. Placing her into the seat of her car comfortably, Shego strapped her in. Princess was not one to crumble under pressure often, but if she kept this up no one would be able to rely on her. Closing the car door, Shego strapped herself in and turned the engine on. The car roared to life; leaving the car park, Shego headed for Kim's home.

**LIB**

Waking from his slumber, Ron rubbed his back before stretching out. It was night time now and everywhere he looked the lights of people's houses were on. His clock on his bedside table read 7:59 P.M. _That's odd; Kim should have called by now,_ he thought. He began to reach for his phone but paused. There was something not right about what he was doing. Now that he thought about it, were he and Kim actually dating? Closing his eyes again he tried to think and tried to remember the prom night.

_I was with her…holding her hand…we walked into the hall…we slow danced…and then…we…_Ron opened his eyes, blushing a deep red. He and Kim had kissed. It couldn't have been a dream; there was nothing in him that could prove it was a dream. It had to be real…but if it was, why didn't they talk about it? Was it an unspoken rule between two lovers? Even if it was, it was starting to worry him. Kim hadn't mentioned anything really since he came back. Sure they held each other close and ran to each other like they always did, but did she see them as a couple? He wanted it…but after what he did, he didn't deserve her. She was Kim Possible; he was Ron Stoppable. _If friends is what she wants, then I'll be whatever I need to be for her_, he thought.

"_But you don't want that Ron_," a voice spoke in his head. Ron looked around the room, searching for the area the speaker came from.

"Hayden?" he asked.

"_Bingo; we both know you want be with Kim. Just do it; don't fight what has happened,"_ he replied.

"You're just an extension of me; what do you know about girls?"

"_Every subconscious thought you have gained and learnt from women over the course of your life. She wants you; I could see it in her eyes. She craves for you; don't you remember?"_

"No, I don't. I don't remember anything," he said as he heard on knock on his door.

"Ron? Are you talking to anyone?" a soft feminine voice asked.

"No mum."

"That's good dear; would you mind taking out the garbage before you go to sleep tonight?"

"Yeah sure thing," he replied as he listened to the footsteps grow fainter. _Great, now my own head has to share space with Hayden,_ he thought.

Reaching for the phone on the table, he dialled Kim's number and waited. Two minutes passed without an answer. Humming to himself, he tried the Possible's home phone. Four rings passed before someone answered.

"_Hello Possible residence, how may I help you?" _asked a feminine voice.

"Mrs. Doctor Possible?" he asked tentatively.

"Ronald? Goodness it's been a while since I've heard your voice on the phone. How are you?"

"I'm ok Mrs. P. Where's Kim? I was waiting for her to come by earlier."

A brief period of silence followed the question as two voices in the background came and went with another more masculine voice apparently chasing after them. "She was unconscious this afternoon; Shego brought her home and we put her straight to bed. She looked exhausted," she sighed softly.

"Shego? Is she ok?"

"She's fine Ron, but maybe you should come here. She seemed to think someone was after her from what Shego was telling us."

"I will Doctor P. I'll be there as soon as possible," he responded as he grabbed his jacket.

"Terrible pun Ron," Mrs Possible laughed, hanging up the phone and leaving Ron confused.

Whipping the jacket on, he dashed down the stairs and into the garage. He had been waiting to surprise Kim with his recent purchase from Wade; now though was not the time to keep secrets. Revving the engine to life, Ron tore down the street towards the Possible home, his new bike roaring with pleasure as he sped up. "_Good boy Ron; go to her,"_ Hayden muttered.

**LIB**

_Head spinning, Kim walked into the room, her body and mind severely affected by the drink she had just sculled. Not that she cared; she was happy and that was all that mattered now. The sensation it gave her body was amazing; she was bulletproof and nothing could hurt her. Maybe she should do this more often. Feeling her stomach rumble though, she though against it for now. Already trying to hold down her other drinks, Kim passed the people drinking from the keg and aimed her path to the bathroom. Opening the door, she paused for a second seeing two teenagers exchanging a very careful and loving embrace of their new found love for one another._

_Kim though dived for the toilet and released herself; her body's system was in rebellion as the contents from her evening began to fill the bowl. She was so tired of it all; nothing she did was making it right for her. And this was Bonnie's party after all. Of all things, she was throwing up at Bonnie's party. If she ever got a hold of this…Kim wiped away from of the spew from her mouth and walked back out, her mind racing but fuzzy. Nothing was making sense now as she tripped and landed in someone's arms. Hearing a mutter of apologies, she could feel the arms carry her somewhere. She didn't mind where it was as long as she was safe. Darkness quickly flooded her view as she realised they were in a bedroom alone; her body unable to move, the door closed and all she could feel was a hand moving on her…_

Waking in a cold sweat, Kim's breathing sky rocketed. The only the light in the room was coming from her lamp; shadows all over her room started to scare her, making her pull the blanket up over herself. The last thing she could remember was a small prick from a needle and…her mind. Curling into a ball beneath the blanket, Kim closed her eyes, holding herself tightly. She couldn't keep living like this; no matter where she went something else was always fighting against her existence.

A small click from her door made her panic; holding her breath she heard the door close and footsteps move closer, taking slow steady steps as if trying not to disturb her slumber. Her eyes wide open, she felt something different; for the first time in years she felt truly afraid; she didn't know who this person was or what they were. It could be her parents, or it might be someone she didn't know. She wanted to move but was frozen; fear gripping her heart, the footsteps stopped. She felt a hand grab the top of her blanket and hold it tightly. Removing it, she shielded her eyes, remaining in a ball.

"Kim?" the masculine voice called out.

Hesitantly she opened her eyes to reveal the blonde haired boy she knew as Ron. Uncurling herself slowly, Kim sat up, keeping the blanket closely wrapped around her. Carefully, Ron sat on the bed, his smile causing Kim to blush slightly.

"How you doing K.P?"

"Tired," she whispered.

"I guess you would be; did you sleep alright?"

Kim nodded. "What are you doing here though? Aren't my parents going to kill you?"

"Hardly; they already know. Your mum suggested it. So ah," he muttered, scratching the back of head.

"Come on Ron this isn't the first time you've been in here," she grinned, causing Ron to laugh.

"You're right K.P. It's just that I haven't really been in here since we were kids you know," he smiled as he lay down on the bed.

Kim giggled and held herself tightly. He was right though; the last time she could really remember him being allowed into her room was when they were still in primary; they had tried to play dress ups. Kim had dressed as a secret agent while Ron had managed to dress himself like Mary Jane. Kim had always told him the photos were gone, but then again he was unlikely to venture into her cupboards without being attacked by her first. A sad smile crept over her mouth; they had changed and grown so much since those days. She was starting to miss them more and more.

"So what happened to you Kim?" Ron asked half-heartedly.

Kim paused; she knew they were going to have to talk about it sooner or later. But did she want to explain it now?

"Nothing really; I was exhausted after the training so Shego brought me home," she muttered, looking towards the floor more than Ron.

"You were unconscious Kim."

Kim nervously laughed. Ron sighed and sat up. "Kim, you know you can trust me; we've been through high and lows throughout our lives and I've always been there. Please don't shut off now."

Sighing, Kim looked at him; those eyes sent shivers through her body. They were always so kind and caring. She didn't want to keep anything secret from him, but now was not the time for him to know about her demons. Tears began to swell as she felt the pressure grow on her again. Ron moved over to her and held her, allowing her to hug him tightly. Stroking her hair, Ron sighed as he watched her sob into his chest. He couldn't force her to do anything, not when she was like this. Instead he began to whisper softly a song he had heard a while ago. Kim began to ease her sobbing as she listened, her tears drying up as she looked at the clock; 9:46 P.M. _Thank goodness for the weekend_, she thought as Ron continued singing:

_Love is drowning_

_In a deep well_

_All the secrets_

_And no one to tell_

_Take the money_

_Honey_

_Blindness_

Ron stopped; Kim was looking at her dresser, the words turning over in her mind. She couldn't help but feel connect to the song. There was something in her that wanted to give it up, but she couldn't feel it anymore. She hated not telling Ron, but she didn't want to worry over her right now. If the darkness was all she had left, then Ron was her guiding light, her angel throughout the nightmare she faced. Rubbing his hand through her hair, Ron kissed her head gently, causing Kim to smile softly.

"Kim, are we…you know…dating?"

Kim couldn't believe her ears; looking up at him, she saw his face flush red and began to smile. Then it grew; deep inside her she felt something grow and fester before flying out of her. Laughing loudly, Kim clutched her sides, rolling around on the bed as Ron sat still, and his face growing redder by the second. Kim couldn't help it though; Ron watched her as she rolled off the bed, still laughing.

"You done Kim?" he huffed as Kim hoisted herself onto the edge of the bed. "I can just go if there's something funny about it you know."

"Yeah I am," she smiled, wiping away the tears from her face.

"Well are we?" he asked angrily. It was one thing to tell someone you loved them; it was a completely different situation to question whether you were going out with them, only to be laughed at.

Kim smiled softly. "Ron, did my mother tell you what happened to me while you were gone?"

Ron remained still and nodded. "You tried to take your own life."

"Apart from that."

Ron remained silent.

"I spent my time trying to find you; for the first few months I was exhausted. Every moment I had spare I spent trying to find you. After that I resigned myself to you returning. I thought that maybe I had done something and I was the cause, so you left me."

Kim's eyes began to swell; Ron softened his glare. "I…did things; I went through depression Ron and thought about it constantly. Nothing I did in my life was worth much when I looked back; all I saw was achievements, but nothing that would leave a mark. But then I thought about you; you were the greatest gift. I could never ask for anything more Ron."

Kim grabbed hold of the blanket Ron held out for her and wrapped herself up again, moving closer to see Ron better.

"I treated you badly. Instead of listening to my friend, my best friend from pre-k, I followed my own heart and didn't let you in. I shouldn't have done that to you. Maybe if I had known and been more aware it could have been different. But there was a reason I kept searching for you Ron, even when I didn't think I would ever see you again."

"K.P…" Ron grimaced.

"Ron, I need you to know this-"

"K.P…"

"Ron can you please let me finish?"

Ron's discomfort grew. "I would if you stopped sitting on my hand."

Kim looked down and sure enough she had sat right on top of his outstretched hand. Moving off it hastily, Kim looked at the blanket as Ron tried to get the blood flow to return to the region.

"You could have said something," Kim muttered.

"You were talking Kim. I didn't want to interrupt you."

Kim smiled. "Ron I need to answer your question though; do you remember the last thing we did together?"

"Apart from the kissing at the formal?"

Kim nodded. "Yeah…I asked you to be my girlfriend, and that I loved you."

"And I said yes Ron; I came through it all to be with you. And nothing that has happened since that night has changed that fact; we are together Ron, boyfriend and girlfriend."

"But Kim, what if you change your mind?"

"I'm not going to; it was the craziest and wildest decision I ever made, but for all the highs and lows we've gone through, it's been worth it Ron. You are my light; my guide; my friend; my Ron Stoppable."

An easy silence descended upon them; Ron was sure her father would barge in and rip him limb from limb, but for now he felt it would be worth it. Kim had admitted it to him; they were dating. He didn't understand depression completely, but he knew what it did to people. She was going to need time though. He owed it her to stick it out with her through it. If what she said was true, and what her mother had told him was true, then she wouldn't give him up for the world. Nudging him slightly, Ron met Kim's eyes.

She was worried; he was quieter than normal. She wanted to express what was going on in her head, but there was something more pressing on her mind now; he was going to need her tomorrow and she needed to be at her best for him. She didn't want to imagine going through it herself, but he would be burying his own father tomorrow. She needed to know if he was ok.

"You ready for tomorrow Ron?" she asked gently.

"Yeah…I think I am Kim," he responded.

"Ron, I'm still coming you know?"

Ron nodded. "I know; I just can't believe it though. I always thought I'd have a bit more time you know; I mean I knew it would happen sometime but I always thought that would be after he was sixty or something. Not now."

Kim held him tightly. "I just can't believe tomorrow is the last time I get to say goodbye to him," he whispered, the tears swelling in his eyes.

"I'll be there with you Ron."

"I know Kim. It's just…I can't help but think about him all the time now. Everything in the house reminds me of him. It's like what remained of him is becoming a poison in my system; I don't want it to, but every time I see something like that I can't help it. I miss him so much," he sobbed as Kim began to stroke his back.

She would give anything for Ron to be happy; feeling the tears begin to seep through her shirt; she closed her eyes and held him tightly. No one deserved this kind of fate; he was too nice a guy for someone to wish him any ill gesture or thought. Continuing to sob, Ron held onto Kim. His father was gone; tomorrow was the finale to his existence. He wasn't sure how he was going to act seeing his body for the last time; he didn't want to, but for his peace sake he had to. And yet, something inside him burned with hatred; whoever had done this was going to suffer. At least of that he knew how he would act.

**LIB**

Shego lay down on the couch as Wade and Drakken continued typing madly. Three straight hours of clicking and tap-tap-tap was driving her crazy. How anyone could stand to do this all day was beyond her; Drakken was a mad man in his own right, but this kind of obsession was insane. She had tried to explain it earlier, but they had glared at her causing her to use her time for listening to music instead. But Kim kept worrying her. She had mentioned it in passing to Wade and Drakken but neither were thoroughly interested enough to take any real notice.

A voice in your head was one thing; it's another to have a complete person take form and taunt you. But Kim wasn't her only concern. Tomorrow, along with Wade and Drakken, they were going to the funeral of Ron Stoppable's father. And Ron was going to be a mess. No one had spoken it, but they were all thinking it; whoever had done this was going to pay dearly when Ron caught them. Thank goodness for her she hadn't done it.

**A/N: Sorry for the wait but hopefully this is worth it. Special thanks to Eeckles my new beta for helping get this chapter on the road and clear up some of the issues with it. Chapter eight won't take nearly as long as this chapter has been split into two. It should be up in the next few weeks. As always reviews are always welcome.**


	9. Chapter VIII: Goodbye

**Love is Blindness**

A Kim Possible FanFic

**Disclaimer**: I do not own and make no attempt to profit from the characters or stories of Walt Disney. Kim Possible is owned by Walt Disney.

**Chapter VIII: Goodbye**

_Morning, 8:28 A.M., Six days till the end of the month…_

Sitting near the front of the church he clutched his friend's hand tightly, hoping and praying he would be able to contain himself. But this was no happy farewell; regardless of how he could possibly make himself face the fact or come to accept what had happened, Ron Stoppable did not know whether he wanted to know about his father's demise or not. All he knew was he had been murdered; the main culprit unknown, but Ron suspected who it was. He could never forgive the person who had done this to his father.

But these were empty meaningless thoughts that flowed through his mind, each one trying to numb the pain he felt as he watched the coffin being slowly placed at the front of the altar. The church although not large still felt spacious enough to hold at least a four team basketball game. Why he felt it could do that he didn't know but turning to Kim who had remained silent the whole time, he tried to smile.

"You still there K.P?"

Kim slowly looked towards him; she could see him smile, but she knew deep down it was only an act, trying to remain brave and keep himself together. _Brave boy_she thought_._ She nodded as Ron turned away, looking towards the people moving the objects around carefully.

"You reckon he could be watching down over you Ron?" Kim asked; he was never easy to read. She was still unsure whether Ron would really want to answer her question.

"Probably; he always spoke about it, but ever since he left I don't know what to believe or think anymore. He never did anything untoward to anyone; it's just unfair K.P," Ron muttered as one of the men began to set up the microphone stand.

"The world is cruel Ron-"

"I know Kim," he whispered, letting go of her hand and walking off.

"Ron?"

"I'll be right back Kim; just need to use the bathroom," he replied before moving to the back of the hall. Turning to his left, he walked down another hall before coming to the restrooms. Taking a deep breath he walked in.

Clean and shining a lilac blue, Ron made his way to the sink and washed his hands. Not understanding why he did this, he looked into the mirror and sighed. Rufus, finally awake after his nap, poked his head up through Ron's pocket and jumped out, climbing up his buddy and onto the sink. Seeing him Rufus tried to catch Ron's attention. But nothing could snap him out of his daze. His father had never hurt anyone; he didn't want to remember him. Every memory he thought about, everything he remembered or cherished about his father was now stabbing him in the heart, breaking down any resistance Ron might have once had. No one ever said death would be easy, but they never said that the hurt would be so bad.

**LIB**

Wade adjusted his tie at his desk, still trying to type and fix up the one detail he had managed not to complete yet about his clothing. Having been to a few funerals he knew how they would work, but this was the first time he had been to the funeral of one of his closest friends. This one he didn't know about; Ron was devastated and everyone knew that. They never mentioned it to him, but they all knew he hung by a thread in this life. One more tear and he would break. And no one knew what might happen. But this was not the prime concern for him at this point; another attack this time in Egypt had destroyed one of the oldest pyramids, killing incidentally one of the world leaders. They had not specified who was assaulted, but Wade knew this bore the trademark of the attack made in Paris.

Turning around, he saw Monique walking towards him, dressed in black and bearing the tie he had asked for before. Close by Drakken was still being done up by Shego, and was still putting up a fight against wearing black.

"But I am an evil genius! And blue skin does not match with black as well as you think it does; I want my suit back Shego," he had whined before Shego had knocked him out.

Now skulking as Shego tried to fix his tie once more, he looked away from her as he finished up, allowing him to return to his work before they left for the funeral. "Why we have to go Shego is beyond me; it's a terrible loss but regardless of that I don't know the buffoon that well. It's only going to be awkward," he muttered, causing Shego to glow her hands.

"You're going because it would be rude not to; you are going to pay respects to one who has passed on and you are coming whether you want to or not. Because I am going and you are going to come too," she smiled, shooting a small blast past his head. "Or else."

Drakken gulped and returned to his work. Wade smiled as Monique handed him the tie. He never liked wearing dark clothes at a funeral, but then again the last one had been more of a celebration. Ron hadn't specified what this one would be about and neither had his mother. Both seemed to be on edge and only the date and where it would be held had only been specified. Tying this one up, he smiled and tracked the last moments of the attack on his screen. How the Hand of Fate managed to move around puzzled him; they still had not managed to track down the villain yet and at this point there seemed to be little point in trying to discover him now.

"Are you ready Wade? They're about to leave," Monique said, indicating behind her to Shego and Drakken who had begun to head for the lift.

Wade nodded and stood beside Monique; taking her hand in his, Monique blushed as they headed after the other two. Wade kept looking ahead and watching for any sign or alert but as they entered the lift he breathed deeply and gave Monique's hand a quick squeeze. As they left the lift and headed for the car, Wade could feel a drop of water on his hand and looked up; forming above them quickly, thick dark grey and blue clouds began to open themselves up, covering the town of Middleton in rain. Getting in beside Monique, Wade closed the door and sighed. Of all days, this one would be by far the hardest he would ever have to experience.

**LIB**

Ron sat still as his mother began her reading of her husband; the church was almost full which would have been exactly what his father would have wanted. His colleagues from work all sat together; his friends all huddled in close to hear what his darling wife was telling them about her late husband. Ron had so far managed to keep himself together but he was on next. And for the first time in his life he didn't want to be positive about this. What was written in law that stated you had to be happy for someone leaving? He wanted to be anywhere else but here. His father was taken from him without warning; now he would never get to see his father at home anymore. He would never get to spend time talking and learning from his father; he would never be there at the wedding or there for the birth of his grandchildren. And most of all Ron would never see his father smile and reassure him that everything would be alright. Fists clenched he wanted to punch something; he needed to destroy something, make it feel his pain and crush it into oblivion. But he couldn't do that here. About to leave, a sharp hand grabbed him, stopping him from going.

Kim looked at him and leaned in close to his ear.

"Don't do this Ron; if you leave now you'll regret it for the rest of your life," she said calmly as Ron's mother continued to talk.

"You don't understand K.P; it's too painful. I need to leave here," he replied, trying to move away from her.

"Stay Ron; please," she pouted softly.

"You don't understand it Kim; I'm the reason he is dead. I'm the reason the Hand of Fate continues to terrorise and injure all those I care about. I'm responsible for their deaths," he whispered harshly, the anger growing inside of him.

"Ron what are you talking about? It is not your fault-"

"Don't you understand Kim? No one was in danger; no one was threatened when I was gone. Ever since I've come back people have been killed. I never wanted this; now dad is gone and I'll never get to see him again because of it. These words Kim are stabbing me in the heart; the others can celebrate, but I won't. He deserved so much more than this."

Kim was about to say something when she saw Ron's mother start the last of her speech. For a while, it seemed as if Ron was torn between the two worlds; on the one hand he could run, run far away and never return and no one would be able to stop him. Or he could stay and say farewell to the one man he truly admired. Kim watched with anxious eyes, trying to plead him to stay and do it. Ron looked at her; his eyes seemed vacant as a single tear slid down his face.

"Ron it's not your fault. The Hand of Fate is the one who has killed your father not you. No matter what happened, you know he loved you deeply Ron. You are his son and he would not want you to feel guilty about anything," Kim whispered gently.

"You don't understand though Kim," he replied.

Starring at her he sighed. His mother finished her speech and received a polite round of applause from the audience, most of whom smiled happily and nodded their heads in acknowledgement. All eyes turned upon him; gulping down the saliva building in his throat, Ron made his way slowly to the podium and held onto it tightly. He hadn't prepared anything to speak about. He could feel people watch him closely like eyes in the night. Ron would have traded the world to feel invisible right now. Everyone was wishing him well; but each thought was killing him. He was the sole reason for his father's death and no one else knew about it. He was guilty and no one would acknowledge it. Looking to Kim he watched her smile softly to him and he nodded in defeat. No matter what else he may do, he had to do this.

"I'm not the greatest user of words, but for my father I will try. He wasn't exactly the most normal of fathers…"

Rufus pulled out a tissue and blew his nose; Kim wiped away a small tear sliding down her cheek while Ron's mother smile proudly as her son spoke. Already in tears, Shego leant against Drakken for support as the doctor looked on solemnly at the young man. This boy was braver than Possible could ever be; he was facing a fear and was defeating it. And that was something Drakken could appreciate. Wade watched on as his friend continued to explain the wonderful times he shared with his father. Soft sobbing from next to him made him smile slightly as he passed another tissue to Monique. Ron was putting on a show for the audience and they loved him for it. Finally Ron looked at the crowd and smiled; a single tear fell down his cheek as he looked at the podium.

"And that's about it. I love you dad; I'll always miss you," he spoke softly to the microphone. Taking his leave he returned to his seat and eased himself onto the chair. The audience stood as one and clapped; their applause for Ron filled the hall, filling him with a sudden calmness and peace that he had missed for so long. Although his business was unfinished, he could finally feel at peace with his father.

**LIB**

The magnificent and majestically carved stone was punished relentlessly by the storm; the rain bashing against the side of the mansion with such ferocity it was a miracle to remain standing. Housed safely inside, a woman smiled happily as she put the last of her designs into place. Hair tied back, she typed the last of the details into the machine. It had taken a few weeks, but she was finally done. She had achieved the impossible once more.

Looking out over her creations, she marvelled at the magnificence and brilliance. Clinical proficiency; a wonder to the eyes. She was magnificent once more and the world understood it. Or soon would. Her demeanour improved from the last few days, Electronique stormed the halls proudly, the work she had undertaken a complete success. Her accomplice would be satisfied. Barging through the doors, the wires in her suit began to buzz with concern. Standing by the window in the castle, the Hand of Fate remained motionless.

It was rare to disturb him, but she could not resist. This moment called for celebration. Almost dancing to the desk near the window, she stopped slightly before it, resting herself on the mahogany carved wood. "Will you pay attention?" she asked, wrapping her fingers over one another.

Remaining perfectly still, he snickered. "Finally succeeded have you? Doesn't surprise me; you were bound to conjure up one success in your life. Although, this progress is pointless; you continue to disappoint me Electronique."

Glaring, her hair began to spark electricity once more; it always happened when she didn't want it to. "If you don't like my methods tin can, find someone else," she spat, reaching over the desk for a mint.

"Sadly, there is no one else on the list to choose from."

"Well you did choose me first," sighing slightly at the taste of the peppermint lolly in her mouth.

"You were the fifth choice," he muttered, turning around to face her.

Why his voice was so metallic, disjointed and cold was a mystery to her. She had never seen him without the suit and was beginning to think that maybe he himself was an android. "Are they ready to attack?" he asked.

Electronique nodded. "Just give them the orders and they will obey."

"Ingenious. Have there been any updates from the attack records?"

"Minimal," she whispered, spitting the mint onto the ground. "That Yamanouchi School must know he has returned once more; those ninjas made short work of the prototypes. But you shouldn't worry; their skills aren't up to scratch. They were still wiped out."

Huffing, he stormed back to the window, causing Electronique to frown. "What's the big deal with Stoppable anyway? He is hardly a concern compared to Possible surely."

"You're foolish to think so. Possible is nowhere near her best; Stoppable on the other hand…how I did not see that ploy is beyond me," he gritted, the slots for his eyes burning brightly against the dark outer of his face.

"I doubt most would have picked Stoppable for changing himself dramatically. At least you know that the good Doctor won't be telling anyone else about it," she grinned. Tapping the button near the light, the back wall to the office began to churn, swinging itself around to reveal a bound and gagged man, his eyes spinning madly at the sight of his captors.

"Stoppable can defeat me; his presence provides Possible with the energy and desire to carry out her missions. With him there, that Princess is almost unbeatable. Without him, she will fall and crumble like before."

Electronique threw the mint at the bound man. "Even if we break her, she could still stop us. Her track record is pretty good."

He remained still and growled lowly. "Perhaps better than yours," she giggled.

Drawing his sword, he ran at her; she was unable to register the movement to protect herself in time, instead closing her eyes tightly. A crunching sound echoed through the office. She couldn't feel anything; maybe this was because of her suit or the fact she was already dead. Opening her eyes however, her body remained still and void of any piercing. Looking up, her eyes caught sight of the still doctor, blood gaping slowly from his mouth. What should have been his stomach was dripping to the floor. Standing over the body, he removed his katana and wiped it clean.

Turning to Electronique, he returned the sword to its hold, the eyes dimming their glow. "Let me make this clear Electronique; if you wish to discuss anything with me, I encourage you to do so and choose wisely. Should you ever compare me to Kimberly Possible ever again, I shall not take my anger out on another hapless victim. Do I make myself clear?"

Nodding, Electronique fled the room in terror. Resuming his position behind his desk he pressed the button and dismissed the body. Brewing his thoughts over the room, he sighed deeply, the metallic cords near his mouth a strain on his senses. Possible was still alive; despite the effort of the androids to kill Stoppable, he had been careless and naive about killing Kim. Perhaps he needed to rethink his approach; so far luck had assisted the two heroes more often than he thought possible. A new game plan would be needed. Flexing his fingers, he grinned; perhaps another close meeting would benefit the two of them. It was about time Possible knew who was after her.

**LIB**

_Three days till the end of the month…_

"Duck, not roll," Shego laughed as another ball thudded into Kim's stomach.

"Why don't you do it for once instead of blasting it?" Kim grumbled, rubbing her stomach once more.

"Because I'm not here to display my skills Kim; I'm here to train you remember? Now again," blowing the whistle as the machine started again.

For the last two weeks Kim had been working intensely with Shego, and the progress had been…frustrating. Although they had taken off the rust on her skills, there was still a long way to go; Ron had begun to train himself in the ways of the Mystical Monkey, which seemed to involve meditating and watching her train more and more. Her skills were not in peak form and she found that out first time around; a hiding from Shego made her reassess her position, but her stubbornness was beginning to surface again, a bonus she found but one Ron was secretly worried about.

However, her stamina was improving greatly. For three days straight she had trained for three hours, the furthest she had been able to push for some time now. Cheerleading was still out of the question, but that didn't seem to stop the glares she received from Bonnie every time the squad started their training sessions. Colder than before, Bonnie refused to speak a word to her, something Kim was not missing out on.

Watching the machine closely, the next ball shot forth and she dived to avoid it. Instead, another shot forward and hit her in the stomach again. Hitting the ground with her hand she got up. Sitting in frustration as Shego sighed, tossing the apple into the bin beside her. Still in meditation, Ron listened closely with Rufus scurrying around, his little chirps interrupted every now and then by a scurrying mouse or something moving outside.

"Princess are you done yet?" Shego asked, crouching to Kim's level.

Kim looked up. "No I'm not."

Slapping her across the face, Kim squirmed, rubbing her face gently as Shego continued to look at her. "Are you done yet?"

"No," she replied; another slap across her face made Kim clench her fists tightly.

"Are you done?"

"No!" she yelled; Shego swung and was caught in mid air, Kim's arm struggling to hold her back.

"Are you done being stubborn Kim? Because I'm getting tired of having to watch you get pummelled by tennis balls."

Kim stopped as Shego stood up. "The point of this exercise is to learn to hold your ground; Wade designed it to shoot anything that moved away from the spot. You know this Kim. So why are you moving?"

"Habit; would you stand your ground if something was shooting at you?"

"Yes, but then again I do have the plasma blasts to back it up."

Heaving herself up, Kim wiped away the sweat on her brow. "And what does holding your ground provide you with?"

Shego slowly wandered towards the ball machine and began to fiddle with the dials. "It teaches you resistance Possible. You still won't accept that sometimes you have to be on the back foot to attack. The fact is Kim you are stubborn beyond comprehension at times. It is an admirable trait, but also one that has put you and Ron into danger countless times. You need to accept the truth; nothing you do will always work. Holding the high ground will not always bring victory and that your skills are not invincible. You need to learn to crawl before you can walk."

Shego hit another switch, causing the machine to whir sadly. Breathing deeply, she raised her fist and slammed it down on the machine; buzzing to life again, it shot another ball to Kim who tried to dive, only to meet another ball in the stomach. The marks would not be permanent but for now they stung each one another one hit the same spot.

"Break it Princess; duck!" Shego cried out, launching another at her.

Kim watched it float towards her, her movements like lightning. Drifting slightly to the right, the ball began to curve. About to jump to the side, she paused slightly; maybe Shego was right. Her time to fight was not now; that would come later. Smiling, she ducked underneath the ball, watching it sail past her gently. Pulling out another cigarette, Shego lit her finger up and began puffing.

"Not bad Princess; just another ninety-nine to go," she puffed, pressing the button with interest.

**LIB**

Ron grabbed his books for tonight. Homework already on his mind, he was glad to be leaving the school finally for the day. He had insisted on watching Kim train, which was perfect for his meditation, but not so perfect for the amount of homework he had due. No one except for the cheerleaders had remained behind with the football team to practice, so it was a strange feeling to look around and see no one else walking the corridors. No one that is except for one boy: Josh Mankey. No longer as scrawny and pale, he had beefed up since Ron had last seen him. Now a quarterback on the team, he was smugly walking to Ron who tried to ignore him, without much success.

"Well, if it isn't Stoppable; how you been?" he smiled, Ron trying to return the smile but falling short.

"I've been better Mankey."

He nodded and looked around quickly. "To be honest Ron, I'm surprised you're with Possible now anyway. I mean you two came out with it a few weeks ago, but I have to admit I'm impressed."

"Thanks?"

"Maybe; especially with the rumours Kim had on her when you were gone," Josh shrugged.

"Rumours?" Ron asked, realising he was glad Rufus was with Kim at the moment.

"You hadn't heard? Strange; I thought she would have told you by now. You're girlfriend isn't exactly girlfriend material. According to Bonnie, she slept with Brick at her party when you were away. The whole school knows of course."

"And you believe her? You believe Bonnie?" Ron murmured, his body numb from the shock.

"No real choice; I'm dating her. Besides, half of the school was there Ron; they saw what happened. We got the last and shortened version of the story, but the gist is the same; only ones who probably know what happened exactly are Kim, Bonnie and Brick. Although trying to get them to speak about it would be next to impossible," Josh sighed, causing Ron to frown.

"Why is that?"

"Brick was killed four months ago; apparently he was overseas and a party got out of hand. He tried to break up the fight, but was stabbed horrifically. There's a plaque on the wall over there to commemorate him. And no one would be able to get Kim or Bonnie to speak about it again. So basically, Kim is a bit of a slut Ron." Ron was about to punch him out but stopped when he saw the crowd making their way towards him and Josh. It would not do well to brawl now.

Josh pointed to the wall and turned around; people were beginning to make their way towards them. Ron walked over slowly to the plaque and began to look at it. It was a photo of Brick; forever now immortalised, his smile made Ron sad. He had so much ahead of him and to hear how he died seemed to make it worse. The group walked past him, talking softly to each other as Josh joined them.

Ron stood still and looked at it. They were gone but he remained rooted to the spot. Had something to Kim that he doesn't know? Kim would never do that. But the witnesses…

_Maybe she did do it Ron; we were away for so long and she does have needs,_ Hayden whispered.

"Maybe, but she is my best friend; she would have told me if something happened," Ron retorted to himself.

_Ron look at the facts; you were gone for a year champ. And Kim is a teenage girl.__ And whether you like it or not, girls also have needs. Don't you remember when we had to take that course? People who are abandoned will either seclude themselves or they'll go looking for affirmation. And let's face it, Kim would not go into seclusion, _Hayden laughed.

"You're wrong Hayden."

_Am I? Just have a look at her Ron; the last time you saw her she was Kim Possible. When you returned though her hair was brown, she was pale and was thinner than she probably ever has been. She has changed Ron; the old Kim is gone. This new girl that is Kim could have done those things. And who knows, maybe she enjoyed it? How does that make you feel Ron? To know that the one person who you thought would stay the same has become the very thing she swore not to become?_

Ron gritted his teeth. _And now it all makes sense. Think back Ron; the signs are all there. She came to us for __counselling__, at special request of Barkin no less. She tried to commit suicide Ron and let's face it everyone else wasn't surprised. In fact they seemed to despise her still living. Mankey may have just given us the reason, the big secret that Kim wouldn't even confide in you. And you're the one dating her._

"Kim will tell me the truth I know she would," he muttered.

_Listen to yourself Ron; your own resolve is fading.__ You've heard the story Ron; we both know it. This new Kim must have done these things. Why else would she be where she is? But you're too blind to see it. Why would Bonnie storm off that day you found Kim late for class? The looks give it away Ron.__ You want reassurance she would never do that. But I can't provide you with it. You'll have to ask, _Hayden stated.

"How do I ask her about it though?" Ron sighed.

"Ask me what Ron?"

Ron nearly fainted as he turned around. Kim looked at him happily as he tried to regain his breathing. "I was going to ask you…I was going to…ask you…" Ron looked into her eyes and sighed inside. He couldn't do it; this was Kim, his best friend and he couldn't bring himself to ask her a simple question.

"What are going to ask me Ron?"

Ron gulped. "I was going to ask you if you wanted to…get some food before we head home?" he squeaked out.

"Um sure. You ok Ron? You look like you've seen a ghost," she asked as they headed for the exit.

_You have no idea K.P., _Ron thought as the doors to the school closed behind them.

**LIB**

"I just need to be sure it's not mystery meat again," Ron gargled, his milkshake finding it hard to make its way down as he talked.

Having managed to make it lunch without causing a meltdown in Chemistry, Kim was busily occupied with the food in front of her. For the first time in months she was eating more than normal. Working with Shego was tough and she kept burning the energy off faster than she could put it in. Ron had suggested eating more at Bueno Nacho, but she had decided to eat something a little more health orientated.

"Ron, for the last time, its pizza today; nothing bad is going to happen from it," Kim assured.

"I don't know girl; this thing could still be moving," Monique muttered, poking it tentatively with her fork.

"You know what fine, here," grabbing their food she took it and emptied it into the bin, sitting down and resuming her meal.

"Since when did Kim not care about what she ate?" Ron asked, causing Rufus to appear and moan at the thought of not eating.

"For a while now Ron; maybe you have affected her after all," she smirked.

"Doubt it," he replied, pulling out a burrito from his pocket and eating it. Monique turned green; Kim shrugged and continued eating.

Finishing her pasta, Kim yawned; they still had two more classes then home time. Perhaps she could get a nap in between, providing Ron could cover for her in cooking. The prospect of having to learn from Shego again was still nagging her, not wanting to admit that she could in fact cook well. A whirring in her ears started again, causing her to look around; nothing moved except for the students eating.

"K.P?"

Turning to Ron, she was re-directed to a worried Monique. "You sure you're ok girl?"

"Did anyone else hear the whirring?"

Shaking their heads, Kim sighed and picked up the trays. "Back in a sec."

Growing louder as she neared the bin, Kim dropped the trays, the remains scattering across the floor as people looked to her direction. No longer interested in her, people around the canteen could hear the rumbling grow, voices shouting out orders as the ground began to shake. Ron and Monique joined her side, people running away screaming in all directions. A slam into the side of the wall made them jump back. Another grunt was followed by a crack in the wall as another slam followed straight after the previous. Kim was about to pull out her Kimmunicator; rubble from the wall flew around her and the others, grunting from the other side alerting them to the sound of whirring gears.

Standing above Ron's height, at least twenty androids were glaring at them, their cold red robotic eyes scanning them constantly. Kim gritted her teeth; Monique shuddered. "Monique, go," he whispered softly. Looking at him, Monique looked away and ran. A shrill laugh from inside the hall made Kim nervous; it was high, but metallic and cold.

"Kim, you know how I was going to tell you something about that attack? Well…"

A figure, dressed in black covert gear, with strange electronic wires and devices strapped to her body walked in, her eyes shielded by deep blue goggles and hair slicked back into a medusa hair style. Master of electronics, she snickered at the teen heroine who glared back at her.

"Oh look! Kim Possible in the flesh. Been a while since I last saw you," she grinned, wiping away the dust from her goggles. "And who is the handsome blonde beside you? I wouldn't mind having a go at that."

Kim snapped; no one made a pass at her man. Running at her, she aimed her punch and threw it, only to meet thin air. A cold robotic hand held her arm in place, slowly increasing the pressure of its grip. Kim winced as Electronique held her grin. Clicking her fingers, more droids surrounded Kim, holding her in place.

"So, anything else you want to do right now? I might just have to take that boy off your-"

A bolt of blue light burst from behind Kim, racing and obliterating the androids to smithereens. Wires and bits of cable fell to the floor as Ron stood in front of Kim, his blue glow diminishing as she felt the warmth form his body return to normal. Electronique scowled; two days worth of work ruined in mere seconds.

"Shame; I do love my toy boys. Anyway, let us see if you can take on my second generation," walking away as a swarm of androids surrounded the duo.

Ron looked at Kim who shrugged slightly; gripping her arm, she pulled out her gloves and slipped them on. Standing to fight, Ron backed up against her, his position ready to deflect anything that came their way. No one moved for a while, Kim looking around nervously as their eyes shone blue. Then all hell broke loose. Charging her, the stylishly dressed android slammed her fist, meeting thin air as Ron and Kim broke apart. Jumping to the side, she aimed her kick at the legs, snapping the droids balance. Two more ran after Kim, landing inches from her head as she rolled.

Ron twisted and turned, narrowly avoiding the oncoming assault. Grabbing its arm, he spun it around and launched it into another, smashing it to pieces. His joy short lived, a crushing bear hug from behind grew tighter. "Rufus!"

Appearing from his pocket, Rufus yelped and raced up his pants, stopping at the head and biting down hard. Sparks flew from the head as Rufus jumped inside the body. The grip slackened as Ron turned around. Trying to rip out the thing inside it, Ron grinned as it punched its stomach, ripping out the cables. Smoke from the canteen grew as Rufus reappeared, smiling as he raced back to Ron, who held more of them at bay.

Watching on above, Electronique sighed; it seemed a waste to be using these low level designs on these two, but he had insisted strongly they be tested then killed. Blue sky above, she watched with little interest as the cheerleader ducked under another swing, her kick finding the mark perfectly in the droids stomach. A frizzle from behind her though made her pause and turn around. She knew her as Drakken's minion, but usually he was with her too.

"Having fun playing with children?" Shego asked. Her cocky arrogant grin spread across her face as her hands lit up.

"Foreplay my dear; you have no idea what you're in for," Electronique smiled, her own hands blazing to life with electricity.

**LIB**

Looking up, Ron watched the two glows trade blows, searing off clothing and hair without fear of retribution. Ducking, he punched the nearest droid and winced; his hands were bloody from the blows and ached horribly. Kim was still fighting, but he knew she couldn't keep it up for much longer; her dives were becoming less common, her own hits against the robots doing less damage with each strike. Glass shattered to Ron's right as another droid was sent flying from Kim's kick.

"Kim, we've got to go," he cried out, Kim pausing for second before dashing after him.

They tried to block him, but he barged them down, sending chills through his spine as he heard a small snap in his shoulder. "Maybe you should try out for the team Ron," Kim said, smiling as they ran down the sidewalk and into town.

Pulling out her device, she quickly brought up a small screen showing a dark skinned boy typing away madly. "Already locked onto you Kim; just jump when you're ready."

Grabbing Ron, she jumped and felt something caress her along. Tapping it, the invisibility feature vanished, leaving behind a pink car, flying through the downtown of Middleton. Ron strapped himself in tightly as Kim took control, people around her starring in shock as a flying car dashed through the town.

"Are you sure this thing is safe Kim?" Ron asked as the screen around them shut, tinting the outside brightness.

"Wade installed it while you were away; it's safe…I think," she replied, causing Ron to turn pale.

Looking behind, his face didn't improve; flying towards them, androids flew under and above them, aiming their arms at the hull of the car. Swerving, Kim narrowly avoided the first assault, only to meet the second in mid dive. Grabbing onto the side of the car, they started to punch their way in as the ocean grew closer. Before she could dive, they slammed into the water, the droids crushing into tin cans as the car sunk into the water.

Droids hovered above the air for a moment before a small beeping from the tallest one caused them to surround her. Typing the code into her arm gently, a small screen came to life, the figure on the arm looking around carefully.

"_Have you found her?"_ she whispered softly, her head spinning around to search for her oncoming assailant.

"She has vanished," it responded in the cold metallic robotic voice.

"_Find her,"_ she replied.

The robots surrounding the screen spread out over the ocean quickly. The android stood still and tapped the button. Resetting the code for her arm, she flew off, scanning the ocean hastily for the pink automobile.

**LIB**

Wrapping his hands up gently, Ron winced as he felt the pain from the break. He wasn't about to distract Kim who was busily typing away into the screen near the steering wheel. Carefully, without her watching, he moved the bandage around his arm and tightened it. Kim sighed as she leant back against the seat. Wade had been sending information through but she still didn't understand it. Shaking her head, she leant against Ron, her head resting carefully on his shoulder. How long they had been underwater was anybody's guess; Wade hadn't installed the clock yet. Regardless, she knew that once they came up they were going to be attacked. For now she let Wade guide them through the ocean.

"How's the hand?" she muttered softly.

"It's been better; nothing to worry about though K.P," he smiled. "What about you?"

"Few bruises. Are you sure you're ok though Ron?"

"I'm great Kim," he grimaced, causing Kim to frown.

Ron looked ahead. Kim snuggled in close to his chest, drifting to sleep before Ron could talk to her. Aches aside, he was glad to still be alive after that attack. He had suspected Electronique would come after them, but now that she had, he was still unsure about it all. Kim was getting better with her fighting; all the work with Shego had been paying off, but after today's battle he was still unsure. Placing his arm around her, she snuggled in closer him. His eyes struggling to remain open, Ron looked out to the ocean around him. Fish of various sorts swam past, while he had nearly soiled himself when he had seen the squid a while ago. Watching the screen, he looked at it oddly as he drifted to sleep. He was sure that Japan was not on his list of places to go.

Flickering on the screen awoke him from his steady recession into sleep; nudging Kim slightly, she was startled until she remembered where she was. Both now entranced by the screen, its blurry fuzziness began to melt away, revealing a mask made of silver. Where the eyes should have been was a dark black band which seemed to stretch into the person's head. But there were two red eyes; piercing and glowing they seemed to minimise fractionally as they gazed upon the two heroes.

"_Ah, Kim Possible the miss perfect of the world. And I see the buffoon has somehow made it as well," he grinned, although the mask hid it._

"You," Ron whispered deadly towards him.

"_Come now Stoppable, you knew what would happen if you returned home; I thought we made it clear the last time we met. And I am sad to say that his death was quite unnecessary, but you left me no other choice."_

Ron gritted his teeth as the eyes turned their attention to Kim. _"Now to you Possible; where do you think you are going? Japan is hardly the right time or place for someone such as __you__ to vanish to during this time of the year."_

"Like you would know; I doubt you get out much. How does it feel to walk around in a tin can for your life?"

"_Better than having to dispense pleasantries on the likes of you princess."_

Kim frowned; no one else called her that except for… "Shego?"

The suit laughed a high pitch scream; Ron covered his ears as Rufus into his pocket tried to do the same. _"Shego? You think I am Shego? Goodness princess for someone with brains you really ought to try and use them sometime. I doubt Drakken would team up with you if he even suspected or knew that it was Shego here talking to you instead of me."_

"How do you know-"

"_I know all about your attempts to find me Kim and your grouping with Drakken. It isn't hard to know this really; I am simply better than you in every way imaginable. Which reminds me, I believe Ron has left something important here in Middleton, something he forgot about before he left?"_

Replacing the face on screen, a sword sheathed in its casing and Ron's mother appeared on screen, causing Ron to stare idly at the screen. For a while Kim thought Ron had lost himself, immersed in what was before him but after a while a small laughter began to grow; Ron laughed loudly, startling Kim.

"_Something funny about this Stoppable?"_

"You don't get it; you killed my father. Now you want to go after me through my mother? So what happens when you kill her? Is Rabbi Katz going to become another statistic too? You made a deal with me that if I ran away and remained out of Middleton, you would leave my family and friends alone."

"_I did didn't I?" the Hand of Fate pondered. "And you Ron Stoppable broke that agreement the day you returned. You see Ron, I am not one for mercy; I could end your dear mothers life now –"_

"Save it dude; the whole threatening to kill my mother thing is getting old."

"_Maybe; but ask yourself Ron, do you really want all those deaths on your conscience? I'm sure they will all be happy to lay down their lives just for Ron Stoppable."_

Kim watched Ron closely; she feared butting into a conversation that only involved her at some parts and being told by Ron to leave him alone. It seemed as though the Hand of Fate had managed to keep Ron silent for the moment, but after a while Kim could hear Ron saying no repeatedly under his breath.

"You're wrong," Ron whispered darkly. "They won't be on my conscience. You're the one who murders them in the name of justice; but there is something I can do that will not only stop you, but end this whole game right now."

Curious, the Hand of Fate looked at him._ "What would that be Stoppable?"_

"Avenge them."

The Hand of Fate mocked clapped at Ron, his eyes growing redder by the second. _"So finally the true Ron Stoppable has revealed himself__; you're brave Stoppable to think you can stop me. Foolish indeed, but brave; I wonder how you're mother will feel once I subject her to the same torture I used on your dear father?"_

"She's stronger than you think; you kill her and there will be nothing left to stop me from destroying you completely; note: serious face. You mess with the Ron once shame on you; kill my family? Death is one state that you will face, but not before I exact upon you the cruelness and pain that you have caused not only me, but the thousands of people whose friends and family have been killed in your name. No doubt, that if I do this my soul may be condemned; revenge does have its price. But if the price is you, then I am willing to pay it."

"_If you continue on your path__ Stoppable__, I will have the sword and __your__ mother__ will pay for your lack of respect__; and trust me Stoppable, she will not last the night. Otherwise I offer you a choice; return and you may come and choose between the two. You have one hour."_

The face vanished from the screen causing Ron to groan in anger. Kim picked up her communicator and sighed; pulling up Wade's number, she waited as the dialling continued. Seething, Ron pressed the buttons ahead of him, causing the steering wheel to appear in front of him. Gripping it tightly, he adjusted the flight controls and buckled up. Kim quickly buckled in and looked to him; whatever he planned to do, she hoped it wouldn't be deadly.

"Ron, are you with me?" she asked, slightly fearful of the hatred and anger now in his eyes.

"K.P. I suggest you hang on tightly," he muttered as Kim heard the engine roar to life behind her; being pushed back into her seat, the car shot up through the water and burst into the sky, its trail quickly changing to Middleton. Ron gripped tightly; _I'm coming Mum._

**LIB**

"Will he take the bait?" Electronique asked, trying to tend to her wounds without the assistance of the androids.

"Of course he will; Stoppable won't resist the temptation to amend his hurt. I can only hope Possible will take strong note of her situation," Hand of Fate responded, twirling the device in his finger tips.

Bound behind him, Mrs Stoppable looked up weakly at her captors and cried. Her son was coming to his death; she could not allow him to do this.


	10. Chapter IX: Losing it all

**Love is Blindness**

A Kim Possible FanFic

**Disclaimer**: I do not own and make no attempt to profit from the characters or stories of Walt Disney. Kim Possible is owned by Walt Disney.

**Chapter IX: Losing it all**

_Two days till the end of the month…_

Crawling up slowly towards the house, he looked back to Kim who nodded solemnly. Under the cover of night, Ron slipped behind the back of the house. Heart racing, he steadied himself as he approached the door. He knew it would be bound securely with trappings, but he was not going to leave his mother alone to the hands of the mad man. Lightly sneaking onto the porch, he could see one of the androids appear; it's red eyes scanning the perimeter. He ducked; soft footsteps towards him sent his mind into overdrive. If he stayed put he would die; he was a sitting duck.

_Let me help you Ron_, Hayden muttered inside of Ron's head.

Ron shook his head and breathed deeply; feeling the mystical monkey power move through him; standing up, Ron aimed his hand at the body of the android. Registering his movement, the android made to move for him but paused. It tried to go forward but instead fell to the ground, the data registering inside its head suggesting its body had been badly damaged. Ron walked up to the android and inspected the damage; the power had surged from his hands and incinerated the stomach of the android. With contempt he placed his foot on its head and crushed it.

Kim leapt to his side, looking firstly at the wreckage and then the perimeter. It seemed quiet; the only light shining onto the back of the veranda and backyard was coming from the house. Whether any of their neighbours had noticed or made an interest to check on their friends didn't matter to Ron now; the less people who know what he was about to do the better. Nodding to Kim, the two climbed the side of the veranda post and silently made their way towards his room.

Carefully, they pried open the window, Ron and Kim silently making their way in. Ron was still nervous about the sword and moved to the cupboard. Kim sat down on the bed and plugged in her headphones; being silent was the key, so she typed in Wade's number and waited. The ringing in her ear grew as Ron opened the closest and inspected the damage; his only privacy had been violated. No longer intact, the box that had contained the sword had been ripped open. At least he now knew that he wasn't bluffing.

Hearing a pickup in her ear, Kim gestured for Ron to join her, handing him one of the headphones as Wade's face appeared on the screen again. It still took some getting used to, but Wade's new face was so different that it often scared Ron at first glance before he remembered that Wade had grown up.

"Alright Kim; I've started the scan like you requested and I'm just waiting on the results. I see that the two of you made it inside easily then?" Wade asked, typing away steadily in front of him.

"No big; did you remember to pack us something nice?" Kim whispered.

"Like I could forget; in those backpacks are two sets of identical items; there is a grappling hook for the both of you and several smoke bombs. I've also given you one of my more favoured inventions," he smiled as the schematics were brought onto the screen.

"Using a combination of sodium, plasticine, some water and several layers of elastic layering with the robotic frames, I've managed to create small capsules that will allow you to create a clone of yourself. I've only been able to make one clone of each of you so you best use it well."

"Wade, why would we need to use them?" Ron asked as Kim smiled.

"Distraction," she muttered.

"Precisely; these androids only read off heat signatures; real time recording still lags in processing speed, whereas heat doesn't. The chemical reactions in the clones will give off a slightly higher temperature reading, attracting the attention of the androids. The robotics of the design will cause the wiring to grab a hold of one of the androids and destroy it. Basically a self-destruct," Wade grinned.

Typing, his smile faded away dramatically. "Kim it's no good; the entire house outside of this room is swarming with androids. Ron's mum is downstairs. Any attempt to get outside the door will result in death. I'm sorry Kim, but these guys really know how to protect themselves."

Kim sighed as she hung up the call, placing it securely into her pouch. Ron got up and paced for a minute before turning to her. "Ron, I've got no idea," she said lamely.

"No need to worry Kim, because I've got one anyway. Here is what we are going to do."

**LIB**

He sat comfortably in the chair, but still felt cold watching the androids pace around him, protecting him and the hostage from any potential attacks. Electronique had managed to find something of worth to eat in the house and was busily creating something, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He hated thinking like a male, but he had to for the moment. Possible could never know about him really, or it would all fall apart. But then again, he was required to report his progress in a few days time, where he hoped he could report the elimination of Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable. Until then he would brew his plans for her.

A cough behind him got on his nerves. He was tired of listening to Electronique explain her brilliant plans of world domination, and he was tired of having to restrain himself around her. She was a fool, a pawn in this game after all. Her only survival depended on her usefulness and for the moment she was keeping her skills in his service and doing well. He could hear something murmur. Turning around, he watched with small pleasure Mrs Stoppable attempt to remove the mouth piece gagging her. No doubt Stoppable would be here soon, but for the moment he was enjoying the feeling of power he held over the young man and his mother. The deal had been broken and now he would extract every last measure of pain upon him. It was never personal though and he kept reminding himself of this fact each and every day.

Stoppable was only a small part of the larger game play. He is the essence and driving force for Kimberly Possible and as the plan now stood, he was a nuisance, but a pivotal piece of the puzzle to crack and destroy Kim Possible. He loathed her; everything about her made him feel repulsed and enraged. He had only met a few people who shared his sentiment; those who hadn't were swiftly dealt with. Stoppable had to go; Possible could remain alive for a while, but he knew she would not. Revenge was evident in her nature; her attempts to retrieve the syntho-drone Drakken had created last year had been a clear indicator of her desire to protect those she cared about. Keeping Kim Possible off her game and letting her mind become clouded and unfocused would soon have her delivering herself to him without realising it.

A soft tapping broke his concentration; the android looked at him coldly and calculated he was thinking deeply. "The girl has been spotted with the boy sir," it spoke, the voice a distorted and morphed version of Electronique's own voice.

"Fine; where are they located?" he asked, intrigued yet annoyed at the same time.

"They are being lead down the stairs now," it responded, standing back to allow the man to attain his full height.

Hunched over, his eyes sunken and lost, Ron Stoppable was bound from behind by the crushing hands of the android, his friend Kim Possible following after him obediently. Without a word the androids pushed them roughly in front of the Hand of Fate and let go of them. He could not have hoped for a better setting; the two heroes were his, at his mercy and now inches from their true fates. The easiness made him wary but after being given this opportunity, he could not help but smile, if only to himself. Electronique walked in and nearly inhaled the remainder of her food; putting the plate down, she slithered her way towards Stoppable and rubbed up against him. He was firmer and far more muscular than the previous male she had dated and this only confirmed her lust for him.

Ron held his gaze with the villain; despite this, he tried to remove all thoughts of Electronique touching him over. She repulsed him greatly; her hair and the manner in which she tried to climb over him made his heart race with anger. These were his enemies and yet they tried to seduce him. Standing next to him, he could see the anger in Kim rising, watching her boyfriend being woman handled by one of her enemies. But there was nothing that either of them could do about it now. The whole situation had gone beyond their control for now. Ron looked around desperately for something he could use to fight with when his eyes came upon something else.

Huddled in the corner, her hair a mess and eyes tearing up at the sight of him bound before her, Mrs Stoppable continued to cry into her tear stained shirt, the site appealing and causing the Hand of Fate to chuckle quietly to himself. For all the time Ron had spent formulating a way of retrieving his mother, it now all seemed to be for nothing because of one look. She looked heartbroken, as if his appearance to her was causing her greater pain than before. And the Hand of Fate enjoyed every moment of it.

"Well, now isn't this a pleasant surprise; Ron and Kim now defeated and in my control. And look," he glared as he took a few steps to hold Mrs Stoppable's chin, "She is happy to see her dear son Ron. I always loved family reunions; they break your heart every time," he laughed as he resumed his place before them all.

Ron's eyes pierced even the coldest gaze as he focused his attention on Electronique's mannerisms for the first time. "Get off of me."

Electronique, taken back by the sudden abruptions of her playful game by the young man, giggled and returned to her meal. "I wonder what has upset you so much. Usually you like to play my games," she winked as she took another bite of her sandwich.

"Enough Electronique," the Hand of Fate whispered. Turning his attention to the duo, he looked them up and down and muttered to himself.

Already watching his mother intently, Ron wanted more than anything to go towards her and release her from her bound form. But a warning glance from the androids made him halt his movements and instead allow the Hand of Fate to scan him over. From memory he had appeared larger and far more bulky. Now he didn't appear as huge, but more defined and lean. He also seemed to be around his height, but he figured that he had grown more than most during the year.

"Please make yourselves at home," he waved dismissively toward the two heroes.

Taking his word, they moved and sat down on the couch, watching closely for any signs of danger as the Hand of Fate comfortably placed himself opposite of them. He could hardly have waited for a better chance, but firstly he had to ensure they were going to play his game, his way.

"Finally, the victim meets the tormentors. An honour if ever there was one, but considering your track records, now is hardly the right time for such chivalrous displays. But upon my word I give you my welcome; for the first time meeting in the flesh I introduce myself as the Hand of Fate, dispenser of justice and avenger of those who have died in the name of gain."

Ron eyed him carefully. Kim felt her insides tightening slightly at his declaration. "We've never met, let alone been in a position to torment you. And after your attacks on France and the murders you've extracted upon the ninjas, you're hardly in a position to talk," Kim snarled, causing the Hand of Fate to turn his gaze upon her.

"Oh, we have met Possible; believe me we have. But, for the moment I am well aware of your current reasons for being here," he said, signalling for the androids to carry out their deeds.

Grabbing a hold of his mother, Ron watched anxiously as they dragged her before them, displaying their coldness by tossing her roughly onto the carpet in front of them. His eyes desperately wanted to look into hers and tell her everything would be alright, but she would not look at him. He could feel himself being torn in two. Looking over his mother, he could see the cuts and bruises on her arms, her face and her legs. Dried blood stains on her face though nearly pushed him over the edge, and it was only through Kim looking at him that he paused and held his breath.

"Would it be too much to ask that the bonds be removed?" Kim asked, causing Ron to look at her strangely.

Almost amused, the Hand of Fate looked at her carefully before nodding. Tenderly, Ron got to the floor removed the binds from his mothers legs and hands, and pulled away the mouth gag to hear her cough huskily on the floor. He turned her over and received something he thought he would never experience again: a warm and comforting hug from one of his parents.

"Touching Stoppable, but we shall move on," he muttered, watching Ron help his mother onto the couch.

"Now we did make a deal and you have returned. The sword I don't have upon me but I must ask you to surrender it to me now," he said, holding out his hand towards the trio.

Confused, Ron looked at him oddly. "We don't have it either."

Had his face been visible, Ron may have laughed at the reaction of the villain. After a few seconds though, he returned his hand and studied the trio closely. "I see; perhaps you have it perhaps you do not. That matters little now. If you have not already gathered and pieced together the information, I cannot and will not allow you to leave here alive. But I do offer you a choice."

"On the one hand you are my enemies and as it stands are my potential thwarters of my carefully laid and constructed plans. However, you two could be far more useful for yourselves and your families if you listened closely to what I propose."

Kim and Ron looked each either quickly before warily looking at him again.

"You both are far better off under my services. Not only will you be payed but you will be afforded the chance to select and pursue missions that only interest you."

Kim and Ron couldn't believe what they were hearing. "You are kidding me right?" Ron asked a shocked Ron.

"I do not joke and the terms are genuine."

"After those people you killed, those villains you killed all in the name of justice and after what you did to my own father, you expect me to join you and call you boss?" Ron exasperated.

"I hate the term boss; but yes."

Ron laughed sarcastically. "You are far more twisted than I thought you were," he smiled as he looked to Kim's worried face. "What would happen if we don't accept your deal?" Kim asked, turning her look to the Hand of Fate.

"Then, I will kill you, your families after a great deal of suffering and pain and then Middleton will be wiped clean from the maps, replaced with a barren waste land, striped of all life. No one will survive," he growled.

Ron had had enough of this; standing up, he pointed his finger at the Hand of Fate and yelled, "You murdered my father; you will pay for what you have done to me!"

Lunging at him, the androids were too slow to act and stop Ron from tackling the man over the sofa and onto the ground behind him. In an instant Kim grabbed a hold of Mrs Stoppable and pulled her to the ground; the small bomb in the air above them exploded, sending the room into chaos. Electronique ran out of the room, barking orders as the androids looked around in confusion. Amidst the smoke, Ron and the Hand of Fate duelled; barring their respective swords, Kim watched in awe as Ron shone a soft blue, the sword deflecting and striking with pinpoint precision. Jumping to her feet, Kim swiftly began to take out the startled robots.

Despite their best attempts, Kim dispatched them easily as Ron continued to struggle with his nemesis. Ducking underneath another swipe, Ron made for the side of his arm only to be deflected easily. His training was good, but the Hand of Fate was better. Aiming another blow at his hand, the Hand of Fate narrowly missed Ron's leap away from him, landing awkwardly on the couch.

"You're making another mistake Stoppable," he snarled.

"Would not be the first," Ron grinned in return, causing the villains eyes to narrow and glow a brighter red.

Slicing away against each other, Kim covered her eyes slightly as the last of the smoke cleared. Hearing thundering footsteps, she turned to see more androids come to the Hand of Fate's aid, aiming themselves at Kim and then Ron. Grabbing a hold of the decoys from her pocket, Kim tossed them in the air. A bright spark of light surrounded with sparkling electricity grew as a mound of rubber and plastic landed on the floor. In amidst the fighting, Kim caught glimpses of the mounds growing and forming, taking on a male and female form. Dispatching another robot, she turned and was startled; looking at an almost life like form of herself, Kim caught a reflection in the robotic Kim and ducked a punch from behind. Expecting to see the robot drop to the ground, Kim watched as the robotic Kim held the punch in place before shoving it backwards into the wall, shattering the pictures frames on the wall.

Ron peered over and ducked in time to see his robotic self dodge a punch and slam his own fist into the assailing androids face. But that was all the invitation the Hand of Fate needed; with one swift slash of the blade combined with a kick aimed at Ron's stomach, the sword flew harmlessly from Ron's hand. With a sickening thud his back slammed into the wall behind him. Before he could respond, two androids had run at him, pinning him to the wall. Kim turned and watched in horror as the Hand of Fate marched over to Ron. Two arms pinned her securely from behind. Whistling out loud, the robotic Kim ran over to the android behind Kim and pinned it securely. Locking itself into place, the robotic Kim's eyes changed to a countdown timer.

Time began to slow; Kim watched as the sword was raised, glistening in the light from the window. But something moved at the last minute. Ron watched patiently as the sword came down; it was all going to end for him right now, but a push from behind broke him free of the grips as the sword narrowly missed him by inches. Landing with a thud, he caught a glimpse of his robotic self pinning one of the androids, the timer in his eyes nearing the end. For the one who took his place, he looked up and his face fell; his mother stood with the sword firmly implanted in her chest, the crimson blood running down her body and into the carpet. The Hand of Fate could not retrieve the sword from the body; the androids had fallen into each other, with Ron's mother now in the middle.

He turned to the robot and cried out something; he tried to reach out for his mother but to no avail; years seemed to trickle by as he watched her face turn to him and smile one brief last smile before the small flickers of fire erupted around her. An explosion louder than anything Ron had ever heard ripped apart the house, his body being thrown backwards into the couch and over it as the fire roared towards him. A second explosion to his right made him shield himself. A brilliant white light filled his view for a brief moment before everything turned to darkness.

**LIB**

Wade looked on despairingly as the explosion ripped apart the house. He had only just arrived and was startled to witness the fire erupt and split apart the house, sending debris onto the lawn around the house and onto other houses. He raced forward and tried to move through the fire, dodging flames at he dived into the remains of the living room. Smoke filled the room as flames licked around him, crying out for another victim. Pieces of the androids were scattered around the room, shimmering a bright white from their burning beneath and above the rubble. Underneath a heap, Wade could make out movement. A peek of red hair made him rush to it and lift up the rubble, revealing a splattering and coughing Kim.

"Of all the places to meet you, you had to pick here," Wade smiled as Kim picked herself up.

"Where's Ron?" she gasped, trying to stabilise herself.

Wade looked around and frowned. A crack above his head caught his attention; avoiding some of the falling ceiling, he dived to the side and fell. Landing with a soften thud, he felt something beneath his hand that may him pause for a second. Charred, brunt and wearing clothing that was singed and starting to show skin in some places, Ron Stoppable lay on the ground, his eyes closed and hands outstretched in an attempt to protect his face. Coming to his side, Kim looked down and nodded to Wade. Gingerly, the two placed a shoulder around each other and began lifting him out of the house.

Carry him out over the fallen debris and embers, Ron remained unconscious. Kim shot a quick glance over her shoulder and saw nothing that resembled the Hand of Fate. Another section of the house collapsed as they fell onto the lawn in a heap. Kim felt her side and winced; a small piece of wood was sticking in her side, but not deep enough to cause her concern. Wade was covered in ash as she inspected Ron. His head was bleeding, his arm was brunt slightly and the clothes on him were nearly all burnt. He had received the worst of the impact; small pieces of shrapnel were lodged in his back, and some smaller pieces in his face. Shuddering, she looked on in dismay. Wade looked cautiously over the wounds and shook his head.

"The blast wasn't meant to do this Kim," he whispered darkly.

Kim glared at him; in two steps she had her hands around his neck, her eyes spinning madly as Ron's body slumped into a heap on the ground. Wade could feel her anger surge through her, her hands tightening. Trying to shake his body into action, he remained still, unable to respond to her maddening gaze.

"You gave me the devices in assurance they would be fine, and you nearly blew Ron half way to hell!" her eyes drilling into him like never before.

"Kim…let go…I can't…" he muttered as the air around him began to thin.

"You nearly killed me and now Ron has these injuries…" she cried, letting go of his neck.

Slumping to her knees, Kim buried her head in her hands and began to sob. Wade gasped wildly for the air, sucking in gallons as he tried to regain himself. The robots had been designed for outdoor use; he hadn't had the chance to test the impact in a closed environment. He wanted to round on Kim for nearly killing him, but he couldn't. Instead, he touched her shoulder and gestured towards Ron. Her fiery attitude gone, her face was replaced by a look of numbness as they picked Ron up and carried him to the car. Hastily as the sirens sounded their warnings, they climbed in and set off, Wade adjusting himself in the driver's seat as Ron was held tightly in the back by Kim. The first shines of red light streamed past them, causing Wade to sigh.

There was something on his mind and looking at Kim in the back he didn't want to know. But he had to. "Where's Mrs Stoppable?"

Kim never broke her attention on Ron as she replied. "The Hand of Fate won; Mrs Stoppable is dead, and maybe Ron is too," she mumbled as they sped down the streets of Middleton.

**LIB**

Anne Possible slumped into the chair and smiled ever so slightly. Her body aching and mind still racing, the chance to sit down and experience the pleasant sensations of rest was a distant thought as she removed the gloves from her hands. Stained with blood, she tossed them into the bin and untied her hair as her husband joined her, taking his place silently opposite of her. She could see him in the corner of her vision yearning to ask her something, but she wouldn't be able to oblige him now. The clock above his head read four-twenty-three a.m., leaving her to murmur something about calling in sick tomorrow to herself.

"Anne," he whispered gently to her.

Wearily, she uneasily turned to him, her body sore and stiff. "You did well hon."

Something inside of her made her smile at him; eyes still droopy, she turned herself around to face him completely. "I know; but I still can't hold my breath at the moment. Kim nearly got a puncture to one of her organs and Ron is in as bad a shape as I've ever seen him."

"True; but they're both still alive thanks to you," he smiled softly.

She smiled as he left, whispering he was going to tuck the boys into bed. She glanced at the mug in front of her and sighed deeply. The whole thing was coming back to her again and now that she could finally drink it, she didn't want to.

_5 hours ago…_

_Anne had finished the washing and now sat down happily to drink her hot chocolate. She had thought of the red wine, but stopped after realising how late it was. Dinner had been great, but now as she watched the tw__o boys being told to head off for not being in__ bed, she couldn't help but wonder what her daughter was up to. It wasn't uncommon for Kim to disappear for hours on end without a word from her, but it didn't make it__ any__ easier to handle each and every time. _Must be a motherly worry,_ she shrugged as she took a sip of the drink._

_A loud thump at the front door shocked her and caused her to almost fly to it. Opening it, she saw Wade standing, holding someone in his arms while her daughter stood beside him, gasping for air and hunched over slightly. Her eyes ran down her frame and came upon a piece of wood sticking in her side. The sight of blood sent her into overdrive._

"_James!" she called out loudly._

_Within a second, her husband peered out from the hall way looked at his wife strangely. "You called?"_

"_Head down the hall and set up the medical bench," she replied, ushering in Wade and Kim hastily._

_James looked at them strangely before his eyes rested upon his daughter and on the young man carrying someone who looked strangely familiar. A bolt of red streaked past him, brushing him aside quickly before vanishing down the hall. He scanned his daughter and nearly fainted as he saw a piece of wood sticking out of her side._

"_Kimmie, what happened?" he tried to ask as Wade moved past him and down the hall._

_Jim and Tim walked out cautiously; seeing their sister, the two boys quickly moved about the house, Jim running to the kitchen and pressing a button. Tim raced into the lounge room and turned over a chair as Kim tried to hold herself up._

"_Long story," she grimaced as her father came to her side, stopping her from falling._

"_It had better be; come on, let's get you down the hall."_

_Jim watched his father leave with Kim and redoubled his efforts; the button near the fridge opened up to reveal a board covered with weaponry. Tim on the other hand had pushed the chair over to reveal a desk lined with computers and their latest home security inventions. With a whir, the house vibrated and buzzed slightly as machine parts clicked and strained. Arming themselves, the two boys looked on as the desk extended outwards then upwards as three walls surrounded them. Cameras stationed around the house and security alarms flashed themselves in front of them as Tim began to type away franticly. Jim stood over his brother and watched, allowing his twin to move ahead with his plans._

"_Who do you reckon did that to Kim?" Jim asked after a while._

"_Same person who probably killed Ron's dad I think," Tim replied as the last of the cameras adjusted themselves._

_Three hours later…_

_Anna was tired; granted that she did this for her living, she was also not a machine capable of sustained workloads for days at a time. But upon seeing Ron beneath her hands, she redoubled her efforts to remain awake. Kim was patched up and fine now as she rested upstairs, but having Wade join her and remove some of the smaller fragments didn't ease her worry. Removing the last of the shrapnel from his back, she gently began to patch up the wounds, relying on Wade to keep them steady. His back was fine, but it was on the other side she now dreaded._

_Rolling him over gently, she inspected the damage and felt her heart start to sink. The small remains of metal would be easy to remove from his face, but the burns on his arm and sections of his chest would be harder to fix. Removing the last of the burnt clothing from him, a small wound opened up causing a steady flow of blood to dribble onto his chest and onto the table. Hastily, Wade placed the cloth over it and held his breath as Doctor Possible grabbed another needle and stitching. With the precision of a machine, she removed the cloth and began to stitch it close. There was minimal chance of infection here with the sterility of the equipment and cleaning they had done of his body before hand, but that did not stop her from trying to keep the wound as unexposed as possible from the room around her._

_Wade gently began to remove some of the larger pieces of metal from his face and placed them with a small clink into the metal bowl beside him. Slowly and gently they began to remove all the shrapnel until all that remained were cuts and sections of exposed flesh. Wade grimaced as Doctor Possible began her treatment of the burns, leaving Wade to inspect Ron's body. His arms seemed normal except for a strange marking on his right shoulder. A swirling wave pattern had formed itself on his shoulder, in a shade of blue Wade had only seen in the pictures of Ron's form. He wanted to ask Doctor Possible about it, but upon watching her begin to bandage up some of Ron's injuries he stopped. Her face seemed to be of greater concern to him than her own daughter. He had always suspected that Ron was like a son to her and to now see her in distress over his injuries was starting to hurt him._

_Turning away, he continued his observations for any possible marks they may have missed during their operations. Anne though felt her eyes begin to swell as she inspected the last of the burns. Some raw skin had started to show through the burn and it only hurt her more to know that it belonged to Ron. With as much care as she could muster, Anne tried to remove little sections of the skin and began to treat it._

**LIB**

_One day till the end of the month, 5:30 A.M. in Middleton, Wade's work…_

"Explain to me again why it is that I'm currently watching you type?" yawned a grumpy Shego, still dressed in her pyjamas.

Drakken sighed and continued along his merry way, his mind ablaze with the thoughts and ideas that often came with his frequent quests for world domination. This time it was different; he double-clicked away the file he had been working on and continued to analyse the data he had recently gathered. The Hand of Fate was moving there was no doubt about it; his creation, although not complete was improving rapidly, a sentiment not shared by Shego as she stuck another piece of gum into her mouth.

"I need someone to explain my hypothesis to and I will be damned if I am to spend the remainder of my working time talking to this monkey," Drakken spat, pointing towards a small monkey with clash symbols in his hands sitting harmlessly on top of the computer.

Shaking her head, Shego slumped herself onto the couch and tried to resume her sleep. "That Hand of Fate is a genius; he is the greatest mind I've come across for a long time," Drakken smiled.

"I still cannot think of what makes this person so much better than the rest," muttered Shego, the pillow hugging her head comfortably.

"For your information Shego, the Hand of Fate is a far better villain than most because they understand their nemesis."

"Just like the time you tried to be hip?" she smirked, causing Drakken to fluster and mutter something dark.

"Admittedly I went a little over board with the understanding. None the less, he knows and understands the method of these heroes; he understands how Kim Possible acts; he even knew the risks the buffoon provides. Splitting them up may have been the best thing for any of his plans to work."

"Regardless Doctor D, they're still going to thwart him," she yawned, rolling over.

"Normally I would still deny all chance of the heroes succeeding, but after seeing the methods thousands of times I know I was always wrong. But now, even taking into account the added bonus of the buffoon, I'm not so sure," Drakken said gravely.

Curious, Shego sat up. "Go on."

"Well there is something else going on here, behind the scenes."

A door behind them opened, revealing the slender and strong frame of Wade. "What is going on?" he asked, his shirt stained with something that resembled blood to Shego's wandering gaze.

"I was just saying that there is someone else behind this whole operation," Drakken replied, evidently annoyed at being interrupted.

"It's pretty clear that whoever this person really is has a vendetta against Kim and Ron," Wade asked, sipping on the large coffee in his hands, before walking over to join Shego on the couch. Watching him, Shego could smell the blood on him, his face tired and body slumping longingly into the folds of the couch.

"Yes, but that's not the point; classic villainy dominance dictates that step one is to create the problem; step two make your demands and step three to rule the world!" Drakken smiled, raising his hand above his head triumphantly.

Yawning, Shego received an angry glare from Drakken. "So you don't think this Hand of Fate has made any demands?" Wade asked.

"Of course not; if he wanted something, he would have asked for it by now."

"He probably just wants Kim and Ron's heads," Shego replied airily.

Drakken shook his head and returned to his work. "Mark my words; there is something else behind his actions."

Wade snorted quietly to himself before sipping his drink once more. The increasing typing started to get on her nerves, but she turned to Wade and whispered quietly to him, "Blood soaked clothing and no explanation?"

"It fell apart," he mumbled, causing Shego to turn pale. "Kim and Ron didn't save her; the injuries to Ron though are still fairly severe. His body has serious burns, and a few of the shrapnel wounds are deep enough to leave everlasting scars. The blood is Ron's; he's lucky to still be alive after the surgery."

"Soon; there is something else we need to discuss though…"

**LIB**

His head ached from everything; his mind was a mist, swirling without sense of memory and time. He kept his eyes closed despite a piercing glare coming in from what assumed was a window. It was morning if not mid day by his assumptions, and should he be right, he dreaded what had happened. He could hear something move beside him but he didn't want to look; he didn't want to see. He'd rather be blind for it all; his heart ached for longing but for what he could be sure of. Nothing was making sense to him. This room was foreign to him without having to open his eyes; the smell was different. The feeling beneath him was alien. Straining his thoughts to focus, he tried to replay what had happened.

He could remember planning to attack the Hand of Fate with his sword, but then it seemed to grow darker around him. He was pinned; his body unable to respond to his desire to flee, he had waited like a lamb to the slaughter for the katana to cut him, ending his resistance. But it hadn't. He had fallen forward instead. Opening his eyes slightly, it hit him; falling to the side, his mother had taken his place at the last second. A tear streaked down his eye; the katana had cut through her and stuck, but she hadn't cried out, never made a whimper or sound. She had turned to him and smiled. This time he couldn't stand the memory; unknown to him though, his body began to glow a familiar blue hue…

Wade walked in and stopped in his tracks; no longer lying down, Ron was now hovering in mid-air, his eyes white and wispy blue streaks of light swirled and shot out around him, protecting him and attacking anything in his path. Vibrations began to fill the room, until they shook it violently. In desperation, Wade grabbed hold of the door frame and tried to hang on. All around him furniture began to fly towards Ron, twisting and distorting until he was surrounded by thousands of tiny pieces of the wood, stuffing and leather. Like a cyclone it raged around the room, slowly and surely starting to lift Wade off the ground. He cried out to Ron to stop it, and then to Kim. He heard something running down the hall as his feet were now off the ground.

Wind howled and raged as sparks of thunder began to shot off him and into the walls around him, leaving burning debris around him. Kim arrived at the door and stopped; still in the middle of the room, the ball of furniture contracted itself. Clinging to his body, a small hissing was followed by an eruption as all the furniture blasted itself away from the centre of the room. Covering herself, Kim looked to see Ron floating in mid air, surrounded by a ball of clear pure light. His eyes though were contorted and changed; replaced by a snow white, he looked as if he was about to explode. She could see his mouth move and before she could do anything, a blood curdling roar of pain escaped Ron. Shattering the glass and compressing the walls away from him, Ron's roar filled her head, causing her to breathe deeply and clench her hands in an effort not to pass out. They tried to close their ears to the sound, but it rung as clear as if he was right beside them. Kim could feel him breaking, his heart being ripped in two. She couldn't stand it anymore; she wanted it to end.

Slowly, he began to descend towards the ground; his feet touching before his body suddenly gave way. Falling into a heap, Kim looked up to see him not move from his spot. Tenderly she stood, removing the small pieces of furniture from her hair and body. Wade was still gasping for air, allowing Kim to move onto Ron. Touching him, he felt stone cold; worry began to fill her but was quickly dispelled when she felt his chest rise and fall beneath her touch. The room was a mess, but as Ron began to stir, she tried to help him into a resting position in her arms. He looked worse for wear though, causing Kim to examine his body carefully for any sign of damage. Wade, still trying to shake his head of what had happened, gingerly made his way to her and sat beside the two heroes.

His body tenderly responded to her examination of the bandages; blood soaked through them, causing Kim to wince at the sight of him.

"Wade, go get mum," she mumbled, Wade leaving without another word.

Carefully laying him in her lap, Kim held him gently to her chest, before whispering quietly into his ear: "I'm always here for you Ron."

For a while she could hear his heart beat loudly in her head, her eyes trying to hold down the tears that continued to build. His body was aching, his grimaced face her pain as she watched her mother walk into the room calmly, examining the body before helping her take him back to the surgery room down the hall way of their house.

**LIB **

**A/N: Sorry for the delay; the next chapter shall be up shortly in a few days time. I had been waiting for my beta to get back to me about this chapter, but it's been tricky at times. So if there are errors, please forgive me for it. To those that have been sticking with this story thank you and I hope this has been worth the wait.**

**As always, read and ****review****.**


End file.
